Great Awe In August!

The birds are silent; there’s a pause;

As thousands gather out of doors

Eager to observe the sky

And see the valiant moon glide by.

 

‘Inconstant orb!’, so said the Bard*,

Curse making women’s lives so hard!

Source of wonder, hope and dreams …

Which acts today as strong sun screen!

 

“Protect your eyes!”, broadcasters shout;

Queues quickly form and stocks run out

As special lenses fly off shelves;

Punters must safeguard themselves …

 

Spain is the hot spot for best views

Today’s** eclipse is headline news

Observers gather on high ground

Bathed in atmosphere profound…

 

Wars and politics be damned!

All eyes on the heavens scanned

For just an hour – life put on hold

Suspended in an arc of gold!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, written c 1594-6

**  on 12th August, 2026

Shake-up for Columbian Coffee?

Columbian coffee gets the shakes:

7.4 on Richter takes

The local populace by surprise

Crumbling buildings and high-rise…

 

Sharp tremors felt in Panama

And in Ecuador so far!

Nature’s rage can’t be curtailed

In an instant, lives derailed!

 

It’s true we live in shaky times;

I hear today the death toll climbs*

So many - taken unawares

The nervous voice of local mayors…

 

We humans think we know the score

But Tectonic Plates know more!

We’re helpless to avoid our fate

Each day, new troubles fill our plate!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* 132 deaths reported on 11th August, 2026

Western Columbia - coffee plantation area

Screen Idlers!

How often have you heard it told:

It’s a challenge – growing old?

We take our lives for granted, then

Health issues crowd in– bye, bye zen!

 

Long-term friends still keep in touch:

So, WhatsApp /Email – thanks so much!

But nothing beats a face-to-face

Though health concerns slow down life’s race …

 

I marvel how we’ve lived so far

Born under post-war lucky star

With full employment, family joys

Before A.I. our peace destroys!

 

We savour memories of youth

When life seemed simpler, less uncouth

When photographs were ours alone

And no one tried to scam our phone.

 

But life is NOW and burn-out reigns

Stupid adverts jerk our chains

Via flickering small screens of blue:

Has “1984” come true?

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

Golden Moments?

Clouds gather but there’s still no rain

Sleeveless T-shirts worn again!

I declutter, dust and cook

Decamping cobwebs from their nook!

But life is so much more than chores;

Time to have a stroll outdoors

Where this drought has taken hold

I notice tree leaves tinged with gold…

 

Rue Neuve puts Autumn styles on view

But those who go inside are few;

Who wants new sweaters in this heat?

While ice cream sales go down a treat!

 

Burglaries and fires make news;

Are Brussels streets still safe, I muse …

But tourists swarm here in great hordes

Enjoying what Belgium affords!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

A CATalogue of Events!

On many days I do not write

As inspiration does not strike

My brain or tweak my thought

It’s like stardust – can’t be cau;ght.

 

Mood, emotions, some weird thing

Will sometimes prompt my words to string

Along in natty rhymes;

But I am not a clock that chimes

 

At regular, predictive times;

Muse Calliope still defines!

To play with words, tease with a pun

(Which you all like!), is just such fun!

 

Some factoids echo in my soul:

Larry-the-Mouser - on a roll

True Guardian of Number Ten

This smart and wily cat stays zen!

 

In dried-up Danube - NAZI ship*!

In fire-raged France - munitions pit!**

Even ‘quiet’ August fires my Muse …

My eager fingers tap out news!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

* near Prahovo, Serbia, the NAZIs scuttled their Black Sea Fleet in 1944

** Over 400 WWII  unexploded shells found in Le Porge (Gironde)

Larry-the-Cat  - Chief Mouser  at Number 10 - since February 2011.

In the Slow Lane

We’re promised storms – but not just yet

Though overnight my plants got wet

Which means one chore I can delay

My watering can on shelf can stay!

 

But weeds love heat; see nettles climb

Round wooden bollards, hiding grime …

While Nature plays a trick or two,

I’ve heard a new eclipse is due!

 

My friends? Gone AWOL – it’s their right;

But a velvet, star-filled sky at night

Always takes my breath away

Harbinger of a torrid day …

 

Why must we rush?  Is burning heat

Nature’s way to let thoughts seep

Into our brains to take life slow?

 Time taken out helps us to grow …

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

A Heated Argument or Two!

So much is 'cut and paste', 're-hash';

Take stupid adverts to make cash;

Or inane quiz games; (low IQ)

That any bright spark can see through …

 

That sometimes I despair of Man;

I entertain, best as I can!

The Internet is a great tool

But NEVER will it replace school!

 

July ends in a blaze of heat

Early morning – empty street ...

I think of those keen to depart

And those whose journey home must start…

 

'Crossover' weekend – signalled red;

Long traffic hold-ups lie ahead …

While I gaze at peerless sky

And watch a single bird swoop by…

 

Low summer sales have caused dismay

The heat, I hear, kept crowds at bay;

For so long we have prayed for heat …

Extremes, alas, our plans deplete!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026