Playing Hide and Seek?

Scurrying clouds block out the sun
Raindrops splatter terrace wall
Who thought that springtime had begun,
Global warming held in thrall?

21 degrees recorded
In February; surely not?
But no brownie points awarded
Belgium's still a chilly spot!

This uncompromising grey
Imparts a dullness I can't shake
The lack of sun makes me dismay
How much more winter can we take?

But hey! Along my cobbled street
Spring green, still cautious, starts to show
Mother Nature, though discreet,
Whispers and wee buds now grow!

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

The Conversion - Day Three!

It's happened! Now work's underway
To convert next door, to my dismay
My garage spot, so deeply prized
And so convenient, is demised!

Henceforth my car stays in the street
To find a park is quite a feat!
At eight each morning workmen come;
With roof tiles off, bare beams see sun.

Exposed, iron girders bob and sway
Cracked, ageing brickwork on display!
A lonely light bulb hangs forlorn
Its days are numbered, wires all torn...

As Poet-in-the-Woods now writes
Beyond the terrace are new sights
Fir trees which give the street its name
The skyline dominate again.

Two men intent upon their task
Use crowbars; work proceeds quite fast
Rickety ladders propped on walls;
No safety harness – if one falls ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

The Magic of Music!

Music – sweet balm to our soul
Calms our worries, makes us whole
Enables us to pause, let go
And turns our hot-paced lives to slow.

We enter a dimension new
Our minds in neutral can peep through
The veiled curtain just beyond
Awareness waves its febrile wand...

There's instant magic in the air
Another mindset shimmers there
Our psyche calls to reverie
Our heightened being is set free!

Detached from our real lives, mundane
Music somehow keeps us sane
Uplifting, joyful, mood enhancing
Our spirit, wide awake, goes dancing!

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

A Question of Survival?

As new doors open, old doors close
Life keeps us ever on our toes
One day our red roofs are sun-kissed
The next, lost in damp swirling mist.

Politicians everywhere lose clout
As the young on climate change speak out
For all our futures the bell tolls
Spontaneous outbursts - change of roles ...

A paradigm shift is on its way
Where ignorance has no role to play
Survival means we pull together
How will we fare in stormy weather?

Mass consumption is a curse
Resources dwindle - which is worse
Our oceans clog with plastic trash
Ever increasing greenhouse gas ...

Old tenets falter – such excess
Is leading to worldwide distress
Such progress has a hollow ring
Beware its scorpionic sting!

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

Manhattan Baby Shower!

The media circus on its toes
As Meghan's royal bump now shows
Caught in the spotlight, malgré elle
Seven months on, all is swell!

A private trip to chic New York
The Press intrudes – what has she bought?
Trim in buttoned-up black coat
She looks distinguished – yet remote.

Well protected, but in view
The paparazzi stick like glue
On her State-side shopping spree
A wealth of choice for babe-to-be!

The baby shower is hers alone
Harry, wise chap, stays at home;
With Meghan the focus of all eyes
Somehow this is no surprise ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

R.I.P. Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019)

There are many worried faces now;
Chanel announces the last bow
Of fashion icon, eighty plus
Who epitomised sharp style for us ...

A newsflash! This was unexpected
Only recently detected
Pancreatic cancer steals his show
And fashion circles stop mid-flow ...

Karl Lagenfeld was rarely ill
Flamboyant, he would top the bill
He counted Stars among his fans
His trademark clearly black-gloved hands!

With his daring and distinctive clothes
He definitely was one of those
Who since the Eighties walked the walk
And embraced the Zeitgeist which he caught.

A career evolved around his name
Aftershave and perfumes came
So the package, glittering and bright
Remains, though he has lost the fight ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

September 10th, 1933 - 19th February, 2019.

An Early Spring - or is it?

It almost feels like spring is here
As there's something special in the air
The temperatures begin to rise
Though we could suffer a surprise ...

At the end of February – last year
The «Beast-from-the-East»* growled here
Out came thick coats and gloves again
Winter dragged on - such a pain!

This time, unless I've got it wrong,
Spring is tiptoe-ing along
As aconites light up new grass
Bringing joy to those who pass

Along the cobbled paths today
Under skies devoid of grey!
Mind you, though daffs now cut a dash
Please wrap up warm – let's not be rash!

A neighbour met me in the street
We chatted, pleased again to meet
And pass the time of day in sun;
So is it true that spring has sprung?

(c) Poet in the woods 2019

* Beginning on 22 February 2018, Great Britain and Ireland were affected by a cold wave, dubbed the "Beast from the East" by the media and officially named Anticyclone Hartmut, which brought widespread unusually low temperatures and heavy snowfall to large areas.