R.I.P. Another Cecil

Zimbabwe – last name on the list

Of Nations - harsh, dry and sun-kissed

Mecca of hunters and big game

Once had Rhodesia as its name.

 

(From Cecil Rhodes, a pioneer

Whose deeds the Old Queen did revere),

On major trade routes lies, through hills

Where 16 tongues mean thrills and spills!

 

Independent now, it stands alone

 A savannah land where lions roam

With many dramatic natural features

A flight away from Southern beaches.

 

But politics aside, we read

A brand-new tale of death and greed

Wilful hunter, careful tread

And Cecil, the noble lion, lies dead...

(c) Poet in the woods 2015

 

Shot at the age of 13 on 1st July, 2015 by a dentist from Minnesota!

Cecil Rhodes, explorer (1853 - 1902)

Cyril the lion

Boitsfort - a Moment Captured!

The wind sends ripples through the trees
Disturbing briefly nature's frieze
The Impressionists caught scenes like these
In dappled paint
Frail petals shiver as it passes
Swirling through the dancing grasses
After the mugginess – catharsis
God's touch is faint.

The lake with sparkles greets the sun
Nature's diamonds every one
Kingfisher - sapphire on the run
A palette new
A kaleidoscope before my eyes
Clouds in movement on the rise
Complete with soundtrack of bird cries
A poet's cue!

(c) Poet in the woods 2015



Kingfisher in flight - scene from Rue du Silex

For Consideration ...

Before a virgin page I sit
And wonder what to write about
The overnight rain damps my wit
The world we live in - wears me out.

Such violence, shootings and unrest
Man's love of all that's bad and wrong
All disasters catch his interest;
The lure to read such news so strong...

The gory details, luckless dead
And those with lives no more the same
Cause many websites to be read
Is horror-lust wired in our brain?

That good news never sells, we know
And yet there's much to love, admire
If we wanted, we could change the flow
As how we treat the Earth is dire...

(c) Poet in the woods 2015

Making Up - for What?

Women hate to tell their age
Those who know it are but few
If men guess it wrong, they rage
Lying – a safer thing to do!

To keep up the pretence, we scheme
Hairdressers always in the know
And as for all those pots of cream -
Beauty parlours overflow!

We fake it, make it, add some blush
In our mirrors, stare and cry
When we see we're past first flush
We can't stop anni domini!

Is our face our fortune still?
Let's give such artifice a rest
Our souls are never o'er the hill
Wearing a warm smile is best!

(c) Poet in the woods 2015

R.I.P. Amy Winehouse (1983-2011)

Twenty-seven – hellish young to die
The price of fame is way too high
Young promise despite childhood torn;
Amy Winehouse was a pawn

In a crazy game played without rules
Real life recorded on tape spools
Touched by genius, sultry voice
Too much cash, too little choice.

Ensnared, and buoyed up, held aloft
Her fragile body was too soft
To resist the onslaught on her frame
She needed help – she took cocaine...

Found all alone one July day
In her London home, she'd slipped away
Alcohol* failed her at the last
Her bright star rose and fell – too fast...

(c) Poet in the woods 2015

Found dead on 23rd July, 2011

* vodka

Golden Days

The heat continues – burning rays
Brighten Belgium's July days
Though hordes of people are away
The traffic jams are here to stay.

Time to switch off, take things slow
Catch up with favourite friends we know
Chew the fat, exchange frank views;
Still Greece's bail-out makes the news.

We've got it made, we're not at war
Who says Brussels is a bore?
Free concerts, outdoor films and beer
Why not have holidays right here?

Down town go walkabout and see
How pleasant car-less roads can be!
Long evenings under star-filled skies
Brussels is golden, when it tries!

(c) Poet in the woods 2015



In the Royal Park, Brussels

Put the Brakes on!

July in Belgium brings a lull
A dip or slump or mid-year pause
We take a breather, old thoughts cull
And spread our dusty wings outdoors.

The world is silent for a while
We take a step back, look around
Our hectic lives are such a trial
We live full speed and “in the round”.

But who can switch off mobile phone
And leave the TV screen a blank?
On-line even when at home
For films and shopping and Home Bank...

This constant pressure, all man-made
Goal-oriented, drives us mad
We've lost our way; I feel afraid
Where's the peace we all once had?

(c) Poet in the woods 2015

R.I.P. Suzy Falk (1922-2015)

I did not know this lady well
But as an actress, she was swell
With a warm and friendly face
Skilled in the art of comic pace
She moved with ease upon the stage
From a very early age.

“Godmother” to a friend of mine*
We used to meet from time to time
And though I never knew her young
She told us her life had begun
In Germany before the War
Happy once; it all turned raw...

Her acting helped her to survive
Her spirit very much alive
Brussels then became her home
Soon in the theatre she was known
An actress with a heart of gold;
A wealth of stories she has told!

At the ripe old age of ninety-two
Her bright star now fades from our view
As on the radio today
I learn that she has passed away**;
Suzy Falk - one of a kind!
You leave so many friends behind...

(c) Poet in the woods 2015


*  Christine S.

**6th July 2015

The Poet's Prerogative?

What's in a name? Well, Shakespeare said
"A rose by any other ..." has street cred;
Our onus is to spell correctly
So meanings will shine through – directly.

But poets have their rule of thumb
A licence which lifelong can run
It gives them carte blanche when they write;
New spellings sometimes will alight

From their train of thought at speed
Perplexing those who choose to read
Between the lines a clever pun;
Misspelling foreign words is fun!

Take Schadenfreude, Deutsches Wort:
Joy when another's life is fraught
In the context of this July heat
Schattenfreude's hard to beat.

This playful vein is quickly tapped
A “joy in shadows” seems more apt
As we swelter under torrid skies;
How the poet loves to get a rise!

The Heat is not for All

Good news at last! In mid July
A burning sun means we might fry
Even in these Northern reaches
Time to lie on sandy beaches...

The school run over, now's the time
To depart, en masse, for sunny clime
In family car, or coach or plane
Leaving Belgium is the aim!

Influx of tourists – all amazed
To experience Brussels in heat haze
Or in an air-con cinema
A cheaper version of pool spa!

Concerts in leafy parks enjoy
Gatherings of the hoi polloi
Beer flows in gallons (oops, in litres!)
Income flows in parking meters!

The tempo changes in the heat
More smiles burgeon in the street
Summer sales may cause stress
But warmth equates to needing less.

Yet summer can be a bumpy ride
For those who have to stay inside
Constrained by illness or old age
To endure, cooped up, this sultry phase...

(c) Poet in the woods 2015

Grexit?

What “Common Market”, you may say
This post-war dream has gone astray
Though “Pax Romana” is maintained
In financial terms, we're strained.

The Euro seems a good idea
Exchange rates are so yesteryear
With porous borders, we migrate
To find work in another State.

New legislation Europe-wide
Sovereignty is pushed aside
The Brits, as always, not best pleased
Payback options always seized.

The Benelux, small and compact
Remains determinedly on track
Its heart in Brussels still beats strong;
Now Spain and Greece have joined the throng.

In dribs and drabs more countries join
Most accept the Euro coin
The currency that made us “one”
Brings with it problems – we're undone.

Debts mount up; can't be re-paid
Many Southern countries I'm afraid
Have bitten off what they can't chew
Now Grexit threatens – what's to do?

(c) Poet in the woods 2015

Brussels Summit - July 12th, 2015

A Sultry Weekend

The city’s empty – roads are clear
The parking’s free - what do I care?
As my friends have headed out of town
Replaced by tourists milling round.

The sky looks threatening – will it rain?
Scattering blossoms down the drain
And make the granite cobbles shine
As we run for shelter one more time?

Although the offices are shut
The restaurants will make their cut
As many quit those cultural paths
For a meal or drink in nearby bars.

The country sells its glorious past
Its works of art leave one aghast
Its villages picturesque and neat
Have surprising views in every street.

But as I gaze at leaden skies
I think of the Belgian compromise
We promote our history with great flair
We’ve more than most – now is that fair?

There's really so much you can do
Museums to visit, kayaks to crew
It’s almost an earthly paradise
Sun and heat make life here nice!

(c) Poet in the woods 2015



Kayaking down the Lesse river

Hot Sales!

Good news at last – we reach July;
A burning sun means we might fry
Even in these Northern reaches
It's time to head for sandy beaches.

Thirsty plants must be protected
Summer hats and creams selected
The sun - our enemy and friend
Skin cancer is a growing trend...

The summer sales now tempt us out
Some smashing bargains, I've no doubt
In air-conditioned malls, it's true
Pity I've other things to do!

Why all this rush in burning heat
To queue in sticky, down town street?
The sky today's a peerless blue
How long before clouds block our view?

(c) Poet in the woods 2015