At a Pavement Café

June now tiptoes to its end
Long sunny days – a happy blend
Of teasing breezes, sapphire skies
Kids out of school whoop joyful cries!

At a terrace café, I enjoy
A coffee pause with hoi polloi;
Nearby, a neighbour wolfs a slice
Of home-baked pastry – it looks nice!

Two other ladies, dogs on leads
Sit at a table, bags on knees
While they scan papers, coffees cool
Chilling out is summer's rule.

World cup flags on shop fronts hang
The clicking of a passing tram
The local bus* stops right outside
Grandma and kiddie hitch a ride.

With an air of summer here at last
A car or two purrs slowly past
A convoy of youngsters on two-wheels
Flash coloured helmets, smiles and squeals.

Taking time out in the sun
Right now as all my chores are done
I treat myself to this display:
Cute cameos that make my day.

(c) Poet in the woods 2018



* STIB bus 17 - Heligenborre - Beaulieu

Disaster - Averted!

Plants get thirsty in this heat
With drooping heads they look asleep
But crispy edges curl their leaves
The message is – my terrace grieves.

I came back late from an event;
My mind elsewhere though I had meant
To fill to brim my watering can;
To douse them daily was my plan.

Next day, off early in the sun
So many chores have to be done
The evening came, I was not home
My desperate plants were all alone.

Disaster! Next day at high noon
My flowers genuflect and swoon
Their pert sweet beauty all awry
In two days helpless roots run dry.

How they reproach me for my lack!
But their loveliness springs back
Life-giving water makes repairs
I haul the blue can up the stairs ...

Plants, like kids, need constant care
You can't pretend they're just not there
The weather doesn't forecast rain -
Come sunset - I'll be back again!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

The Tribulations of the Lyric Writer

The power of words: pen versus sword
Bad treaties can cause real discord!
Do actions speak out more than words?
Each in its own way the blood stirs!

Words perplex, cause you to pause
Well written, give rise to applause
A well-turned phrase, a loaded gun
Strange how both meanings can be one!

Translators have their work cut out
All versions must have the same clout
They must weigh terms up and assess
Which shade of meaning fits in best.

Both medical and legalese:
Minefields in varying degrees
Ambiguity can be hell
So one must know the subject well.

Interpreters are on their own
Quick-thinking, their skills are well honed
Approximation is allowed
Speed of the essence in a crowd!

But what of those like me, who rhyme?
In my mother tongue that's fine
But a huge challenge comes along
When adapting from a foreign song.

The words must scan, they must make sense;
Though word conceits are fine in French
Songwriting calls for special powers:
Their way of thinking sure ain't ours!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018



Member of the SABAM (Belgian Songwriters and Composers Association) since 1979.

Bedevilled at the Supermarket!

The Carrefour cashier questions me:
«Red Devil stickers?» «Non, merci!»
Long queue of shoppers in my wake
Their trolleys piled up, keen to take
Their beers and snacks to watch the Game*
I ask myself, are they all sane?

T-shirts, ice creams, caps and flags
Banners, labels, sporting mags
All flaunt our red, gold, black ensign;
This World Cup frenzy isn't mine
But kids with footballs rush about
«L'Union fait la force» no doubt.

Overwhelming hype is everywhere
The fans rejoice, they really care
While those of us without the bug
Can only stand around – and shrug.
But maybe one good can be cited:
In football, Belgians are united!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

*World Cup match 23/6: Belgium: 5 Tunisia: 2.

On Mental Illness

When was the last time that you cried
'Cos something moved you deep inside?
A loss of courage under strain?
A harsh remark, your soul in pain?

Such daily turmoil isn't good
Being fraught, misunderstood
You try to mask your doubts and fears;
Hunker down till the mist clears.

Though sympathy cannot be planned
A show of warmth, a helping hand
From others reading between lines
Can bring a sparkle to such minds.

But we're mostly busy on the Net
Earphones absorb us, we neglect
Those whose inner demons fight
To turn their days to darkest night.

Medication, pills, advice
Only skate the surface ice
Depression creeps up unawares
An aching feeling no one cares...

A world away from Smart phone screen
Such crying hearts cannot be seen
Outsiders don't know how they feel
But their sufferings are real...

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

More Pipe Dreams?

Uruguay is rarely in the news
But today the subject that I choose
Means it now comes into its own
With another country, more well known.

Do I speak in riddles? In the news
For some this comforts long-held views
Canada the green light gives
The happy weed now legally lives!

Youth pressure as this seed is sown
Some tokers may grow plants at home
Beknighted or enlightened nation?
Pipe-smoking leads to meditation ...

«Switch off, turn on» the mantra goes
Recreation in the wind that blows
Its use in medicine is permitted;
How long before more are committed?

(c) Poet in the woods 2018



Cannabis/Marijuana legalised in Uruguay (2013) and Canada (on 17th October, 2018).

A Bit of a Devil?

They come in many shapes and sizes
Cartoons, video games, disguises
Diabolic and Satanic too
Yes, Devils are a motley crew.

In paintings often they have wings,
Horns and a tail that round them clings
For Breughel - Fallen Angels too
For Bosch - bad nightmares, wildly true.

What of devilled kidneys? (That sounds grim
What torture chamber were they in?)
But Belgium's Devils are benign
They just kick balls, so that is fine!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018





Pieter Breughel: Fall of the Rebel Angels

Altercation on the Bus

Rush hour with tensions running high
The real world seems to pass us by
Travellers stare at Internet
Tired, frustrated or upset.

Angry passenger on the bus
Which failed to stop on time; the fuss!
Sharp words exchanged – the bus drives on
The sang froid of the driver gone...

It's known commuters hate delay
So I thought how hard it is each day
For drivers on a busy road
To keep their temper, not implode.

Perhaps our angry man forgot
To push the button for his stop
A lack of patience seems the rule
But blaming others is not cool!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

The Myth of Romance

Though social media's right out there
Loneliness feeds people's fear
We rush about, our lives are stark
What's lacking most of all - is heart.

Internet - chock-full of facts
Think: meet-ups, websites, on-line chats
Positive thoughts and TED talks too
What a plethora of things to do.

Yet how to hook up these lost souls?
As each of us has different goals.
What of clubs and discos, pubs and bars?
Remember dancing under stars?

We all need sparkle in our lives
So Romance, much maligned, survives
Prince Charming cannot see our plight
And forget all thoughts of the White Knight!

Love is no fairy tale of course
More shared attraction of great force
And that should not be hard to find
Except of course that love is blind!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

Isabella - at Six Months Old

That personality begins to form
They say starts right back when you're born
It's now six months that my sweet niece,
The star of course of this short piece,

Arrived to family acclaim;
Isabella – such a pretty name.
Often overshadowed by big brother
And dressed so cutely by her mother

What Isabella thinks and feels
At last this photograph reveals!
A telling smile – what has she spied?
Her tiny mind in override.

Humour's such a personal thing
Something makes her wee heart sing
Could it be Mum who points the lens?
There's wisdom in the look she sends ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

Isabella born 17.12.2017

Locked in a Speech Bubble?

Forgive me if I smile when on the tram
My eyes a sort of real life webcam
The expressions of my fellow travellers stark
Each lost in silent screen chats, have no spark.

Impromptu conversations all have died
With earphones, human contact is denied.
Some idly flick through Facebook, go on line
While I observe the scene and write this rhyme.

The freebie «Metro» paper clutters seats
Occasionally my eye another's meets
But soon the gaze is lost, perhaps embarrassed
There's so much talk of people getting harassed.

Since the advent of the SMART phone, we're less smart
As in a virtual world we're all embarked
Surreptitiously we've now become entrapped
Together, yet apart, all bubble-wrapped!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

A Question of Dates?

Unexpected invitations fly
Across the globe – the stakes are high
Have PR clips in Singapore
Caused change of mind? We are not sure.

Diplomacy in a new guise
Is cautious optimism wise?
More sceptics burgeon by the hour
Yet heady are the reins of power ...

In the hands of Kim just thirty-four
While Trump tomorrow ups his score
At seventy-one the die is cast
His birthday bash will be a blast!

Kim shares with Elvis his birth date
Things start to rock and no mistake
The future is not ours to see
But exciting it will surely be!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

Donald Trump - US President:  born 14.6.1946
Kim Jong-Un - North Korea President: born 8.1.1984

A Clash of Titans?

Sentosa Island feels the strain
Spotlights on Singapore now train
As leaders of the West and East*
Contemplate the theme of peace.

Bold emblem now lost deep in thought
The Merlion gazes round the port
Long memories halted by a truce
Conclave of demons shaken loose.

Quebec and Trudeau left behind
G7 members in a bind
Seesaw diplomacy still led
By Uncle Sam's risk-taking head.

The world's press swarm to catch the drift
Will this breed harmony or rift?
We wait with bated breath to see
How hard the Titans' clash will be...

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

* Kim Jong-Un of North Korea meets Donald Trump.

On Bags and Food!

I try to keep my subjects light
So much is trash and lies outright
Fake news, scandals, horror scenes
Attract us, yes – but cause bad dreams...

Now two inspiring folk have died -
Though 'Kate Spade' handbags have survived!
Live coverage on CNN
Anthony Bourdain seemed so zen.

Food icon of «No Reservations»
Jet-setting chef to distant nations
Whose many homespun thoughts struck home
A personality on his own...

He'd all to live for – yet instead
Strasbourg, Friday – he's found dead:
He's joined the kitchens in the sky
The verdict: suicide – but why?

Both leave us feeling rather raw
But stress and fame have their own law
The pressures build – they feel distraught
Celebrity is dearly bought...

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

Kate Spade, stylist: 1962 - 5.6.2018
Anthony Bourdain, celebrity TV chef: 1956 - 8.6.2018

Anthony Bourdain

Picture Perfect!

When Mummy holds her Smart phone steady
Thomas smiles, he's more than ready
Rugged up well, in bold check shirt
Another big warm smile can't hurt.

But Isabella plays it cool
She's chilling out, too young for school
Her cuddly onesie hugs her tight
She stares at Mummy, hand clasped tight.

Laid back in every sense, eyes wide
We wonder what goes on inside
That innocent, expanding brain
Cocooned and loved, devoid of strain...

Thomas, now at nursery school
Is learning fast, his brain's a tool
He watches Mummy and he knows
When she takes pictures – he must pose!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

Cookies Take the Biscuit!

Cookies once were baked delights
Warm, straight-from-the oven, bites
Enjoyed at home with Mum and tea
But the meaning has gone west, I see.

Now cookies turn up uninvited
A love affair quite unrequited
These subtle gismos act like spies
Which force our fingers into pies

Where we have no zest to go
Our surfing habits all on show.
Teams of Stasi on the Net
Which dog our movements like a pet.

They analyse our choice of site
And secretly new programmes write
So as I stir my cup of tea
These hidden gremlins spy on me!

All unbeknownst, they're on our trail
Keen to promote and make a sale;
I reach into my cookie jar ...
All this has gone a crunch too far!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

As well as American-style biscuits, cookies are small files which are stored on a user's computer. They are designed to hold a modest amount of data specific to a particular client and website, and can be accessed either by the web server or the client computer.

Rooftop Revels

The shadows shorten – it is June
Sultry Brussels, warm cocoon
A gentle breeze wafts nearby bees
From their hives amid the trees.

A kaleidoscope of vibrant hues
Bobbing petals that amuse
Each delicate, demure, discreet;
All shimmer in the brazen heat.

Yet tucked away amid the stems
A ring of tiny weedlets hems
A pattern on the new-turned soil
Adding to the gardener's toil.

A filled-up watering can's a must
To freshen fading blooms at dusk
Dead-heading keeps the boxes neat
So every day the view's a treat!

(c) Poet in the woods 2018

The Brussels Food Truck Festival

Food trucks in Brussels; Meals on Wheels?
An ethnic festival which feels
Its way onto our eager plates
Let's pick and snack at tasty rates!

A timid start some years ago
New concept for those «in the know»
Brussels now can proudly boast
It's caught the Zeitgeist more than most!

A fast food concept wreathed in smiles
Exciting range of cooking styles:
Persian and Pakistani treats
BBQ-style roasted meats.

Italian pasta, Greek moussaka?
It depends what you are after
Indian spiced food, French cuisine
Perhaps a sampling of Chow Mein?

Keen to try a local brew?
Belgian beers await you too
Pancakes cook before your eyes,
Ubiquitous - the waft of fries!

The Quartier Nord – its Brussels base
Albert II Boulevard the place
By Metro, tram or yellow bike
Admission's free – what's not to like?

(c) Post in the woods 2018

31.5 - 03.06.2018

No Comment?

June begins, her face in tears
So much sadness in arrears,
An unprovoked, midday attack*
Liège police force dressed in black...

A minute's silence – not enough
For these shattered lives – it's tough
Other headlines take their place
But of the aftermath, no trace.

The public so crave cheap sensation
Moving on sans hesitation
Leaving those behind to mourn
While some new horror headlines spawn.

Bad news sells – t'was ever thus
The fickle public (that means us!)
Is keen and eager for a thrill
Curiosity is never still.

The Media homes in on this trait
Many have a word to say
Who were not there, and do not know;
Must the human spirit sink so low?

(c) Poet in the woods 2018



* Terrorist attack in central Liège on 29th May, 2018