A Cheeky Conjecture!

Though Nature often floats my muse

And buoys me up (unlike the News!),

It seems we all must be aware

Of what is going on “out there”.

 

We need tranquillity and peace

Which never has, alas, long lease

As human folly never dies

But oft invades us in disguise!

 

“Doom scrolling” is the buzzword new

Describing what we all go through

As daily horrors rock our boat

And cause a tightening of the throat…

 

Keen journalists are put to task:

How to check their sources fast?

What are we supposed to do

To ascertain what’s fake, what’s true?

 

Car radios can be put on mute;

News bulletins on radios suit

Those who now forego T.V.

Newsprint? How life used to be!

 

Has it always been this way?

World events we cannot sway

But, we CAN choose what we read …

So, poetry fulfils a need!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

La Première - the Belgian French language radio station

De Profundis Clamavi

Though news gets worse and worse each day

Grave matters can’t be swept away;

Moreover, outside looks like rain

Which tries to clean my window pane…

 

Geopolitics be damned!

World trading nations take a stand

Each wanting larger slice of pie;

Meanwhile, we struggle to get by…

 

This gracious world is ours to share

But altruistic thoughts are rare

As precious metals, oil and grain

Are claimed by those on gravy train!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

Title taken from Psalm 130...

A Meditative Walk

A hailstorm in mid-afternoon?*

So, our spring has come too soon

Battering sweet roadside flowers

Brought low, alas, by drastic showers!

 

Of course, we know life ‘springs’ surprises

And although the tree sap rises

Promising leaf growth anew,

We still have puddles to wade through!

 

Angst flies the flag in desert states;

Who rules the roost and now dictates?

Drones, once bees, now pose a threat

Ships stand still in bottleneck…

 

Will hand of Tarot cards reveal

The future in some much-sought deal?

The daily news makes us distraught:

For peace of mind – I take a walk!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* on 14th March, 2026

A New Viewpoint!

Life keeps us guessing; we can plan

But Nature plays “catch as catch can”;

Quite suddenly, we are derailed

Damned gremlins have our health assailed!

 

For a while my sight has blurred

I cannot sew, which is absurd

As needle threading is now hard

And reading challenges this Bard.

 

Letters shrink on mobile phone!

I learn that I am not alone

When I read my emails on the sly

With magnifying glass nearby!

 

Diagnosis – cataract!

If I want my good sight back

I need an op and brand-new lens;

To guide me I have two kind friends.

 

With modern techniques, there’s no pain

But being one-eyed is a strain;

Thank God I live in modern times

And can see to write my rhymes!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

Tram Journey Thoughts

Ear-plugged passengers delight

In chatting – with no friend in sight;

Sometimes, in a tongue unknown

Completely hid from view, their phone!

 

In just a few years, heightened tension

Fires this A.I.-fuelled invention;

Influencers come on stream

Bewitching eyes on mini-screen!

 

Seductive clickbait steals our lives

Social media new trends drives!

Tough safety laws must be enacted

As bikers on phones are distracted…

 

Who sees the darling buds of spring

Outside the windows?* We look in

Ever glancing at our phone;

This ‘fear of missing out’ has grown!

 

Hand-held computer – way to go?

Good servant, yes, but master? No!

Deep-down, admit it, we’ve lost much

The warmth of friends, the human touch …

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* Composed when on the 44 tram to Tervuren ...

On Learning Sad News

We’re pulled up short when sad news comes;

The sand, which through the hour-glass runs

For each of us, now gives us pause

As we’re bound by Nature’s laws …

 

Infinity, a concept strong

Where we all feel we belong,

In time is shattered,  and we see

It hides a harsh reality.

 

We cling to our beliefs, our friends

We fool ourselves; so much depends

On factors out of our control

For each of us plays finite role.

 

It’s been like this since life began;

Credulity, thy name is Man!

But Hope - Pandora’s gift - sustains

So, we see sunshine, despite rains …

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

 

The Sands of Time

Just four days in and desert lands

Upset so many travel plans

The troubled skies light up at night

But not by any long-haul flight…

 

Hordes of passengers are stranded

Woe to those who have just landed!

Caught helpless, wondering what to do

World politics is led – by who?

 

The Strait of Hormuz shuts the door

Soon prices at the pumps will soar …

With the power vacuum now created

Peace talks seem fragile and inflated…

(c) Poet in the woods 2026