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

The Year of the Fire-Horse!

Tumultuous this Chinese year:

The feisty Fire-Horse struts here!

Upsets, upheavals, goalposts missed,

All untoward, we’re crisis-kissed!

 

Dire news from friends I read

Risks are coming home to breed!

Disasters clothed in myriad forms,

Routines beset by sudden storms…

 

Fire, death and illness fight for space …

The Wheel of Fortune picks up pace!

Thank goodness we can count on friends

Whose moral comfort never ends…

 

Money can’t solve every plight

Although of course when cash is tight

Despair comes knocking at our door

And stress can shake us to the core…

 

This Fire-Horse year, right on cue,

Runs roughshod; we must plan anew

As certainties are turned to dust …

But fight on to survive – we must!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026

Dates: February 17th, 2026 - to February7th, 2927

19 Degrees in February!

Not all news is “also read”

Behold - hot temperatures in Feb!

The weathermen in Uccle sigh

Climate change, methinks, is nigh!

 

Pristine snow scenes, captured fast

By Jan’s photographer, will last.

But soon the clouds blocked out the blue

And dripping brollies furled anew!

 

Now February nears its end;

On warmer days we humans spend

Bird-trilled moments in bright sun

Where kerbs with daffs are overrun!

 

A host of crocuses I spy

Proof that the council has passed by …

Sweet Nature flirts in new attire

And doubtless, poets will inspire!

(c) Poet in the woods 2026