Off the Script

Don't we realise life's script is too short?
Is everything pre-planned and taught?
Must we always answer right on cue?
Or can we write a plot that's new?

Is a wage-slave all we're meant to be -
Beknighted drones to some Queen Bee?
To Hell with routine – leave the hive!
Let's form our own new swarm outside!

The world is vast but we're fenced in
Let's be the tonic, not the gin,
And take a hard look at life's dross
The Grand Illusion's a dead loss!

Material wealth's an empty joy
Sure, we're envied by the Hoi Polloi
But are we happy and content?
Wealth has no use – it must be spent!

The world's a big place, let's explore
Adventures lie outside the door
Yet most just work hard and commute
A raison d'être one should dispute!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

Spain - a Split in the Ranks?

Rich Gaudi region takes a stand
Have politics got out of hand?
Though many independence claim
Some say: «Never in my name!»

Spain rocks and risks to fall apart
Madrid reacts with steely heart
Evoking constitution clause
As Barcelona shows its claws.

Its autonomy at once revoked
Machinations clothed in wreaths of smoke
Smouldering embers have caught fire
Are we on the brink of something dire?

Spain, whose passions still run high,
Sees the threat of civil war flash by
Defiant, fervent, torrid, proud
Faced with discontent too loud ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

Referendum on independence of Catalonia - it failed!

Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) Catalan architect and designer

On Serendipity

Serendipity is one long word
But a touch of magic has occurred!
An unexpected joy provides
An inner glow and more besides.

The bus that slows and lets you board
A bargain sale you can afford
A chance encounter – lucky break
Lottery win on single stake.

In a misty season, one fine day
Perfect to give the bride away...
Being at home when best friend calls
Or our birthday on a Sunday falls!

Against the odds, our dreams take flight
A stranger's words make black days white!
Though we love to grumble and complain
These 'miracles' our lives sustain!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

A Visit from the Black Dog

If you feel really down, ill-starred
Seeking the bright side can be hard
Uncertainties fill every sphere:
Job loss or illness breeds despair.

That pesky trite phrase 'doom and gloom'
Sees the 'black dog' in your room
You toss and turn, see no way out
You're plagued with worry, fear and doubt.

Then comes that glimmering of hope
A chance to grab the lifeguard's rope
A kindly word, a helping hand
To bring you back to safe, dry land.

At times life throws us down a pit
It takes guts to get out of it
But when we clamber up, we're free
Bright new horizons we can see!

Thought for today: «fight the good fight»
Tyndale's* noble words still strike
Faltering hearts: new courage flows
And believing in oneself soon grows.

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

* Quote from William Tyndale (1494-1536) - first translator of the Bible into English



Note: Sir Winston Churchill referred to depression as the black dog.

Thomas - Plans to Move!

Far across the oceans, spring arrives
In the Antipodes, where I have ties
The chill of winter, bland 'tis true,
With the winds of change is blowing through...

Wee Thomas, hurtling fast to four
Will new prospects soon explore
His room, decked out with toys and clothes
In mirrored cupboard that he knows

And «coat of many colours» rug
Where he receives his goodnight hug
Will in a while be his no more
He'll move into a room next door.

Dad's study, where he earns his crust
Will be converted, as it must
To big boy Thomas's domain
So his future sister can't complain

She has no room to call her own
Just nine more weeks till she comes home;
Anticipation is the key
Soon to be four, but right now – three!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

The Slow Train to Ostend

Line up for tickets (senior's rate)
Mid-week, where tourists keenly wait
On Platform 4 for trains to Bruges
Though out of season, there are queues!

Past rush-hour, youth in jeans are clad
The elderly, well wrapped-up, sad
No place to sit, wield cane, smart hat;
They lean on pillars, idly chat ...

Suitcases sometimes trundle past
Dragged down the steps, a daunting task
I observe, bemused, this travelling crowd
Disturbed by intercom – too loud!

In French and Dutch, announcements stun
But foreigners, nonplussed, are glum
Weak language skills put to the test;
Their tickets, dog-eared, look distressed ...

A couple get on the wrong train
No guard on standby to explain
The sun smiles on their luckless start
Delays upset their applecart!

The countryside is sleek and green
Dinky, whitewashed houses gleam
The Flemish flatlands meet my gaze;
Warmth has cleared the morning haze.

Train travel – scenes flash past my eyes
Steeples, factories, farms, high-rise
A quaint meander to North Sea
In an empty carriage – just for me!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

With Rena

Ostend beach

Thomas Takes the Floor!

The lure to move when music plays
Is my wee nephew's latest craze.
Thomas takes the floor by storm
A foot tapping star is born!

His Dad and Mum met on dance floor
Across a crowded room they saw
Each other, and their dance began;
Fond memories the years now span!

Thomas's keen eye leaves no doubt
He's not content to step it out
He's carefully crafted the best moves
Inhibitions? He has none to lose!

This new sport keeps him on his toes
Great rhythm helps – it comes and goes
No flies on him - it's fun to share
See - his first girlfriend joins him there!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017