A Coded Message!

Top secret! Please don't share your codes
Pin numbers, passwords – all of those
On no account must we forget
That shysters populate the Net!

All fine and good, I hear you say
But should you have a bill to pay
Which password for this site is real
How should I log in, clinch the deal?

Somewhere I have made a list
For contingencies like this
But can I find it ? Can I hell?
None I remember ring the bell!

I fail - so the website lapses
My blind faith in the Net collapses
It's Me, I'm here, why can't I pay?
Being locked out mars my day!

Update your password? Yes, why not?
But every time I try I'm stopped
I give up, utterly frustrated
Security is overrated!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

Gunfire in Liège!

Gunshots ring out in the air!
In busy Liège near central square
Young man*, parolled, yet on the run
Causes havoc with a gun.

Two female officers lie dead
The thin blue line turns crimson red
Then one bystander joins the toll
And captured hostage quakes, poor soul.

Tension mounts - a school invaded
Terrified kids paraded
To «safe houses» just nearby
While, hearts in mouths, their parents cry.

The gunman, terrorist maybe
Is shot dead so won't wriggle free
But was he brain-washed while «inside»
All acts of violence his pride?

A public outcry soon ensues
It dominates the midday news
Both King and PM voice dismay
What evil forces are in play?

We're shocked: four families have to face
From today an empty place
Life, it seems, turns on a dime
And who profits from this crime?

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

* Benjamin Herman (b 1982)

The Growing Season

When the sun comes out, we come alive
Like busy bees around a hive
The flowers hold their heads up high
And rain clouds vanish in blue sky.

This nature poet loves it best
When birdsong presages a nest
With fledglings waiting to be fed
As Mamma bird swoops overhead.

Daisies perk up in profusion
Thyme and lavender in fusion
Fragrant herbs embalm the air
A touch of Provence lies right here!

A whirring sound across the street
As a neighbour makes his box hedge neat
Bright-coloured blooms burst forth and grow
As my terrace puts on this fine show.

I'm busy - but I put down tools
To contemplate how Nature rules
Her largesse takes my breath away
And brings new meaning to my day!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

A Word on GDPR*

So what's with all this data stuff?
Cyber protection cuts up rough
Can we keep secrets when on line
With worldwide access all the time?

Mounds of red tape and confusion
Lawyers pounce, all in collusion
If you want your secret kept
Then don't confide it – to the Net.

«Elementary», Sherlock Holmes once said;
Modern Watsons shake their head
All information can be shared
No wonder many seem so scared.

All mailing lists are up for grabs
Tsunamis of unwanted ads
This, my friends, feeds modern strife
What happened to the peaceful life?

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

*GDPR = General Data Protection Regulation - enacted 25.5.2018

In Praise of Sewer Workers

Time passes and the days get longer
I like to think the sun gets stronger
But violent storms cause floods and worse
More crises for the public purse.

Weird weather patterns dog our days
An occluded front our nerve ends frays
The early mists are dissipated
Bright sun – and then we're inundated.

Puddles form, drains overflow;
All sewer workers dash below
As débris sweeps down city streets
To congregate in dark retreats.

Dust, muck and bricks or plastic waste
Vanish, cleared without a trace
Processed through the tumbling flow
High-pressure hoses watch it go.

With pumps full on, storm basins fill
Detritus caught in metal grill
Spillways unclogged straightaway;
These brave men so deserve their pay!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

A Kiss on the Couch

You can't stop progress – see them grow!
Thomas, caring, can bestow
A gentle touch upon the brow
Of his wee sister – 5 months now.

Aware and smart, this lively lad
Is passing on the love he's had
Lesson learnt, he's keen to share
No sibling rivalry lies here!

Isabella takes all in her stride
Smiling sweetly, cute, wide-eyed
Her tiny birth clothes quite outgrown
She now sports new ones of her own.

This warm-wrapped bundle learns the ropes
She'll roll over soon, one hopes.
But for the nonce she seems intent
To lie on cushions quite content.

Thomas, big lad, goes to school
So Isabella plays it cool
Her seraphic smile comes into play
With Mum all to herself each day!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

Where's the "Switch-Off" Button?

In this busy world, there's little time
To stop and pen a daily rhyme,
As clients, like a busy swarm
Cluster round me – that's the norm!

Retired, you say, with time to spare
Relax and chill out, stop and stare?
For some this well may be the case
But not for me, I'm in a race:

Texts to proof-read or translate
I'm multi-lingual in full spate
Retirement is a funny word
Work pours in – it's quite absurd.

There's a world right out there to explore
Sunshine shines on terrace floor
But have I time to buy new plants
And my rooftop bower enhance?

Of course not – deadlines must be met
Now «Linked-in» finds me on the Net
My client base revives and grows
More missions keep me on my toes.

Some days, there is no time to eat
As I like to keep my clients sweet
But something tells me that my brain
Is getting tired of all this strain.

So here's the point I want to make
The cultural world is my estate
I love my métier as a guide
But sometimes need to step outside

See the flowers, lie on grass
And watch the butterflies that pass
These deadlines fill me with dismay:
Why can't I just enjoy my day?

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

Of Dukes and Duchesses

New Duchess, married to a Duke
Uncle Sam is cock-à-hoop
There's something special in the air
As Sussex has its own sweet flair.

This noble title first conferred
On son-the-sixth of George-the-Third
Augustus Frederick, who was three
When Britain's Colony ceased to be!

Augustus lived long – had two wives
But his title lapses when he dies...
The Queen now brings it back in play
On Meghan and Harry's wedding day*.

Another wedding springs to mind
With reactions of a different kind
Back then the Firm would not agree
To Wallis - U.S. divorcee.

So the Windsor Duchess wed abroad**
Her ex-King Edward VIII adored
He, surrendering his throne
To share his life with her – alone...

* 19th May, 2018
** 3rd June, 1937 - Château de Condé, near Tours, France

(c) Poet in the woods 2018



Augustus Frederick, 1st Duke of Sussex (1773-1843)

The current Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Royal Wedding - in the Wings

A day to go – Windsor awaits
A new bride hailing from the States
I hear the guest list is quite long
With many bridesmaids in the throng.

A tug at heart strings, Dad can't come;
To escort the bride, who'll be the one?
Wills of course has pride of place
But the newest royal won't show his face

As Louis, pint-sized, like a doll,
Can't yet cope with protocol
But stars of sport, screen and TV
And well known singers, soon will be

Congregating in their pews
This Royal wedding is big news
The tension mounts as cameras roll
Like waiting for cup final goal ...

Harry, second son, is calm
But what of Meghan on his arm?
In view of millions, will she quake
On public view with vows to make?

A big step into the Unknown
With Harry's Granny* on the Throne
Two young people borne away
On a date with destiny in May!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018



Wedding: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: 19th May, 2018

* Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)

Anne Frank - Two More Pages

Anne Frank, a German Jew in hiding
In her diary all confiding
Words from the heart, a wealth of dreams
A girl with spirit, in her teens.

Cooped up, she found a way to cope
And daily scribbled thoughts of hope
In the form of letters she might send
To Kitty, (was she a real friend?)

In a wartime raid in Forty-Four
The diary dropped on Annex floor...
Trucked to Belsen where she died
But luckily her Pa survived.

Her words were published in due course
Highlighting Nazi Holocaust
Thwarted Anne could not have known
Most have a copy in their home!

And now - Eureka! - a surprise
Two pages* in brown paper guise
Show glimpses of a girl distraught
Her basic feelings overwrought ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

* 15.5.2018 AMSTERDAM — Anne Frank tried to cover up two pages of writing in her diary that contained dirty jokes and a description of what she referred to as “sexual matters,” pasting brown paper over the pages in her red-and-white plaid notebook.

Annalies Marie Frank: 12th June, 1929 - Feb-March, 1945

A Political Move - or Two?

The US Embassy on the move
Does Israel see this path as smooth?
From Tel Aviv, the Mount of Spring;
Does Jerusalem have a better ring?

So often hitting headline news
The Gaza Strip has other views
Peace-keeping always a tall order
As protests rise along the border.

At the Eurovision, Israel wins
Could these two events be twins?
Pundits sit upon the fence
But surely – no coincidence ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

Less ... and More!

I KNEW it – my readers far away
Few hits on my blog today
It's tempting to forget routine
And go to pastures lush and green.

Mass exodus by plane or car
A 4-day weekend – let's go far
Explore a city, see the sights
And enjoy a drink on balmy nights!

If left behind, be not dismayed
Here comes the Zinneke Parade!
Or visit Namur-on-the-Meuse
Where a weekend festival occurs.

Now that the days outlive the nights
There's much culture that delights
I'm proud to say – my spirit soars
More bookings for my guided tours!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

The Long Weekend

This May arrives with sunshine eyes
An unexpected bright surprise
Those who plan are overjoyed
Two long weekends – Vive the void!

Ascension Day and Pentecost:
For non-Catholics these are lost
As events that happened long ago
When the Church held us in tow.

With the Reformation came
An undermining of the same
The Bible helped us save our souls
But the thinking public had new goals!

Dear Belgium, under Spanish yoke
Held onto these two feasts 'bespoke'
So spring-time holidays are rife
And harrassed workers have a life!

There's talk of supermarket* strikes
And Brussels Airlines cancels flights
But those of us who choose to stay
Can lift the pedal for today!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

* The Carrefour supermarket chain

A Persian Version

Ancient Persia, now Iran
In trepidation - nuclear ban
Trump creates a yawning gap
Obama's policy old hat...

The White House yields one more surprise
But to keep a promise, is it wise?
What happens to the nuclear threat
Are all forces held in check?

The Middle East - a powder keg
Weird carpet of deep lustrous thread
So many skeins are on the go
But which way will the pattern flow?

Dark hatching not bright themes are seen
But what do all these treaties mean?
Life's volatile, we're on the run
But our planet is the only one!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

May Heatwave!

You must have felt the buzz today
Grey clouds and winter swept away
Has Spring happened? I forget
It must have passed by – in the wet.

But now the weatherman is proud
To declare a summer day – out loud!
With NINE degrees above the norm
Brussels now looks on top form.

Jackets blythly left at home;
Brightly painted toenails roam
In busy streets, where owners' smiles
Brighten up the place for miles.

Sunshine brings out cheery faces
And a longing to be going places
This May exudes a golden haze
Or is this just a brief, freak phase?

Wisteria blooms in mauve profusion
Its fragrant perfume no illusion
No matter where I stop and stare
Flowers (and weeds) are everywhere!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

May '68 - Fifty Years On!

«Mai Soixante-Huit» – Gosh! Fifty years
Those Paris riots – but who cares?
Though long ago, they left their mark
A break in discipline – a spark

That soon engendered a Crusade
Where rebel students barricade
The narrow streets round La Sorbonne
While Dan Cohen-Bendit eggs them on!

France henceforth was not the same
Revolution under a new name.
The Government assessed the mood
And a rise in salaries ensued.

Old disciplines were swept away
Now young people have a say
France caught the mood and rode the storm
Blue jeans not suits are now the norm!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

A Little Pot Pourri of News

As many of you have detected
It's been a while since we connected
But much has happened, it's full on
Events hit headline news, move on ...

The Great Barrier Reef is dying
Global warming death-defying
This precious resource beyond reach
As extensive coral swathes lie bleached.

The media circus in full spate
New royal Prince to Wills and Kate
But Louis Charles will not be seen
When Harry weds his US dream...

Hawaii caught in lava flow
Deaths unexpected in the glow
Trump's trade tariffs - business quakes -
Always so much on our plates!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

Mom

There is nothing I can do or say
To comfort my dear friend today
My hand would touch yours if it could
But squeezing it would do no good.

You saw and spoke with Mom this week
Shared memories though she was weak
You journeyed there to let her know
You remembered times from long ago.

Then painlessly she slipped from sight
Her long life's star dimmed into night
Now troubled thoughts unbidden come
As her passing leaves you feeling numb...

It's really hard when loved ones leave
Mom understands you'll want to grieve
Her footsteps echo through the door
As her spirit lives, though seen no more ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

Written for a dear friend ...