Feeling Hot and Bothered!

Too hot to write – don't you agree?
The lack of breeze means I'm at sea
I sit down tired and mop my brow
The heat distracts my thoughts and how!

The terrace door is open wide
Flies in battalions zoom inside
Some divebomb glass panes, drop down dead
While others buzz around my head.

After a spurt in last week's rain
Plants need water, look in pain.
The weeds, however, spring up tough
A daily trim is not enough.

Herb seedlings snuggled in the earth
Now shoot forth stems for all they're worth
They welcome muggy days like these;
My wisteria is a mass of leaves!

It's rare in Belgium it's so hot
Aircon sure would hit the spot;
The pressure drops – a storm is due
Maybe a cool change coming through?

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

Grounded!

In airport terminal* – a crowd
The tannoy blares its message loud
All flights are grounded on B.A.
Ruined – another holiday!

Confusion reigns and nerves are frayed
«Flights cancelled» on sign boards displayed
A devious gremlin gloats unseen
What's happened to computer screen?

The mystery remains unsolved ...
Fun travel plans are now dissolved
All those who saved to take a break
In sunny climes, must stand and wait.

On-line ticketing is fine
In theory it should save us time
High tech is great, yet fraught with flaws
When there's a glitch, blood pressure soars!

Refunds are promised – that seems fair;
Damn - piles of luggage packed with care
All dressed up – nowhere to go ...
And who's to blame, I'd like to know!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

*Gatwick/Heathrow
This cost 90 million Euro - 726 flights cancelled (28%) during the long weekend ...

Press the Pause Button

A blue sky, hardly any cloud
It's Brussels – can this be allowed?
In a breath of air, rose petals fall
No Air Force One – no siren call.

A time of peace while the sun shines
A long weekend – a church bell chimes...
Big shops and banks stay firmly closed
Gardens put on princely shows...

What's with this life - we can't stay still?
Admiring Nature is a thrill
Each day small seedlings stretch their roots
And bring us joy with verdant shoots.

Though the living world works round the clock
Humans need to pause, take stock;
«Consider the lilies, how they grow»
Forget the fast lane – take it slow.

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

The Circus hits Town!

Hey Folks, the Circus comes to town
400 now are Brussels-bound
Vast local crowds clog sun-filled streets
Their banner headlines – doubtful treats!

Security - a prime concern
That's how they spend the cash we earn
Brussels and Evere await
The role of NATO to debate...

Fine tuning – whistle-stop event
This first foreign tour* is meant
To put the U.S. in new light;
We brace ourselves – and hold on tight!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

* by US President Donald J. Trump
2nd visit 12th July, 2018

Data Martyrdom

Being «on line» is such fun
In terms of «breaking news», we run
To CNN or BBC
To get updated – and it's free!

Research from books is so passé
The printed word has had its day
Rumours flourish, causing doubt
Journalists have their work cut out!

Each one has a different view
What is lies and what is true?
Impressions flood in – we protest
Our shell-shocked brain cells need a rest...

But the 'need to know' does not abate;
We scroll down screens till very late
Losing sleep, we rub our eyes
It's progress, yes – but is it wise?

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

R.I.P. Sir Roger Moore (1927-2017)

This has not been the world's best day;
Suave Roger Moore has passed away
Once Ivanhoe, that gallant knight
Then Simon Templar – halo bright.

With panache, Fleming's third James Bond
Who beat the Baddies, got the blonde!
Immaculate on stage and screen
In The Persuaders – a dream team!

Smooth-talker with that twinkly smile
Seduction - guaranteed with style;
Heart-throb of a generation
Icon of the British Nation -

Who won all battles save the last;
At 89 his die was cast
The Big C caught him on the hop
How sad we can't wind back the clock...

True Gent with built-in flair and charm
We dreamed of being on his arm
News of his demise is hard
And devastates this grieving Bard ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2017



Roger Moore as The Saint



Died 23rd May, 2017

Manchester - in Mourning

Another bomb blast – children killed
Manchester with blood is spilled
Ariana's concert – foyer shock;
Will this carnage never stop?

Thousands gathered for a show
Little ones with parents go
A night out on a long May eve
Yet Fate had horror up its sleeve ...

Headline news flashed on our screens
Innocence in smithereens
Did the bomber act alone?
Who, we wonder, will atone

For this, an unprovoked attack?
The mirror in our lives is cracked
Society looks on, aghast;
I fear this will not be the last...

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

22nd May, 2017: At the Ariana Grande Concert - Manchester Arena - 22 confirmed dead ...

Ariana Grande - American singer

Urban Disruption

With the warmth, the crowds fill bars
Relax in much-loved sun, sink jars
Smile and laugh and mope their brow
Brussels' radiant face – is now!

Yet dust unbidden clogs my street
Road menders have an annual treat
Huge piles of asphalt block my way
Cracked paving stones in wild array.

This annual foray slipped my mind
With warm days you will often find
Earth-moving monsters on parade
And traffic cones to be obeyed!

I ask one workman to explain:
What is it this time – a new drain?
And how long will the road be closed?
As everywhere they're in the throes

Of laying bare the cobblestones
Hence awkward access to our homes...
I gaze upon my dusty feet
And hardly recognise my street.

«A total overhaul is planned
Resurfacing – hence cars are banned»
He shrugs his shoulders, gives a wink
«Sure to take some time, I think!»

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

Cyber Attack!

Cyber crime is on the rise;
We're interlinked so no surprise
This latest malware havoc wreaks
And to fix it, may take weeks!

Invisible, by stealth it comes
Hidden in a file, it stuns
Destroying data, blocking keys
Ransomware – a new disease!

Not localised, its scope is vast
To find the culprit – a huge task
Firms, the NHS and schools
Must shut up shop so chaos rules!

Appointments cancelled on a whim
Many countries taken in
Dependence on I.T. is high
Keep pen and paper standing by...

Just one blip can set us back
Some smart hacker found a crack
In software systems unprotected
Oops! Have back-ups been neglected?

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

NHS = National Health Service

It's All Happening!

Glass door to my patio ...
Where tender seedlings are on show,
Mint and parsley raise their heads
Modestly from flower beds.

The pots are newly filled with blooms
Their roots reach downwards one assumes
Much-needed moisture feeds the growth
Of fragile tendrils, buds – or both.

Each day the dawn brings welcome heat
And bans the shadows in my street
The sound of birdsong fills my ears
Spring's here at last - though in arrears!

Thyme bursts forth from winter sleep
I trim the woody bits and keep
The bright green shoots with fragrant smell;
My garden full of herbs bodes well!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

France Votes!

Cliffhanger in the next-door State...
Finger on the pulse - debate
Round Two in the Hexagon
A vast divide; the voters throng...

Old party politics are stale;
'En Marche' enters in full sail
Placed in the centre – no extremes
For Marine – the end of dreams!

God with us – comes Emmanuel
His youth and good looks serve him well
A momentary celebration
His work cut out to serve the Nation.

Many French are now on board;
With this wind of change, he's scored
The EU trembled but stood firm
Now Macron rules – with much to learn!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

Emmanuel Macron

World Dawn Chorus Day

I switch the radio on and hear
A host of birdsong loud and clear
It fills the room and warms my heart
This Sunday what a way to start!

World Dawn Chorus Day I learn;
Time that Nature had a turn
To shine upon my daily blog
As politics does tend to clog

My thoughts these days; let's try
To imagine thousands on the fly
Each with its own sweet chant or song
A wonderful and joyous throng.

Some sounds stand out among the rest
That cuckoo in another's nest ...
But as the dawn with rosy glow
Spreads its light here down below

There's an expectation in the air
A myriad songs, some of them rare
Provide us with a breathless show
That only early risers know!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

Note: Celebrated on the first Sunday of May, the story goes that International Dawn Chorus Day began in the 1980s when broadcaster and environmentalist Chris Baines asked everyone to attend his birthday party at 4am so they could enjoy the dawn chorus with him. Since then IDCD has grown from a small event in Birmingham UK to an annual international celebration with Dawn Chorus events held as far afield as the Caribbean and Antarctica.

May Blues

«Cast ne'er a clout till May be out»
An old wives' tale I have no doubt
I test the air – there is no snow
But the barometer stays low...

Torrential rain, wind from the West
Should I admit I wear a vest?
Such underpinnings show my age
Who cares? I'm still in «keep warm» phase.

The sodden terrace fails to please
Wisteria weeps, caught in the freeze
Why shop for new clothes? It's too cold
The clouds block every ray of gold!

Poor seedlings cower in their pots
No sign of life in window box
Why has the weather gone awry?
I search in vain for spring-blue sky...

The pavement weeds are bold as brass
Nettles curtsey as I pass
Though fragile blooms must stay Inside;
Yes, May this year is a rough ride!

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

What Price Truth?

In this disconnected world, we fight
To understand what's real and fake
How do the Press know what to write
When vested interests are at stake?

What part do Ethics play today?
With constant deadlines to be met
Black and white soon turn to grey
The truth is difficult to get.

World «Freedom of the Press» today*
Yet in some places it is hard
To let the people have their say
Woe betide those caught off guard...

We admire those who defy dissent
Through social media or email
And refuse to toe-the-line – intent
On speaking out - for they risk jail!

Challenges beset the press
Whose raison d'être is sharing news
Truth suffers under such duress
What price the chance to air one's views?

(c) Poet in the woods 2017

* 3rd May