The Hidden Threat

Note for the diary: Leap Year Day
We travel hopefully and pray
That a cough or sniffle on the bus
Will not lead to the end of us!

Dire news of virus and bacteria
Now in New Zealand and Nigeria!
Events and travel plans curtailed
Italian tourism – derailed...

Schools close their doors – so what's to do?
Social happenings are shot through
Flights from Hong Kong put on hold
Tickets for football games - unsold.

Worldwide finance takes a hit
Quarantine slows the pace – a bit
But the pesky bug ignores all borders
A sudden strike and it's – last orders!

Politicians haven't got a clue
A threat that can't be seen – is new
Meanwhile, with stealth Corona travels
And unsuspecting lives unravels ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

Winging It!

For good news, I trawl through the Net;
Then look outside – it's cold and wet
As if with me it sympathised
Damp, leaden skies are no surprise ...

Syria's war* - still in the news,
Corona victims die; no clues
Just how this virus propagates
A vaccine must be found – high stakes!

But one old chestnut does not die
No Belgian government is nigh!
Post-BREXIT Britain seeks trade deal
Their fears of being outcast – real.

With racist floats quite out of place
Aalst's carnival leaves bitter taste
Anti-semitism - on the rise
Persecution in a brand new guise...

I gaze outside – not one new bud
The trees' bare branches seem to shrug
There is no good news for today ...
But wait - a songbird flies my way!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

*Since March, 2010



Aalst Carnival, Belgium

Feeling Drained!

At six - still dark but I hear sleet:
Slush and binmen in my street!
Then I poke my nose out in the cold
And shiver, should I make so bold?

A short time later, I depart
Dawn peeps through the leafless dark
The sleet has magicked into rain
Which hurtles into roadside drain ...

Great pools have formed, my leather shoes
Glisten as the raindrops fuse ...
I need my scarf with matching hat
To look less like a «drownded» rat!

The theme is apt, I'm on my way
To talk of Sewer Rats today
Down by the gates of Anderlecht
Where viruses and bugs collect...

My group awaits, prompt there at ten
I chat about the River Senne
How it has disappeared from view
While via portholes we peer through ...

The students, not keen at the start,
Soon change their tune, I light a spark
With anecdotes to make it real ...
Yes, guides must always gild their spiel!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020



Musée des Égouts Porte d'Anderlecht - Brussels

For Missy Chenu - in Memoriam

Anno Domini – this Latin phrase
Learned long ago in schoolgirl days
Is now imbued with poignant force
Another friend has run her course...

A phone call came - I was not there
From a special friend whom I held dear
I received her message far too late
Silence greets those calls I make...

A feeling of malaise detected
Her 'life line' mobile – disconnected!
Of late her health had not been good
I cheered her up as best I could.

Such a fun friend and so kind ...
Who lived alone: this crossed my mind
Now social media wafts my way
And I learn, alas, she's passed away.

Friends are precious – each one lost
Tinges our poor hearts with frost;
I meditate on times we've shared
I hope she knew how much I cared ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2020





Née Marjorie Schmelzer (14.6.46 - 15.1.20)

Long term member of the American Theatre Company (ATC) of Brussels.

A Guided Tour in the Rain

Persistent rain – the cobbles glow
Drains are blocked and puddles grow
The wind, pernicious, scoops up trash
Streets desecrated in a flash ...

I look for blue in steel-grey skies
My brolly, soaking wet, still tries
To resist that 'Mary Poppins' look
As the struts now wobble – some gone crook!

The Grand-Place looks the worse for wear
The scaffolding does not add flair;
Bedraggled tourists before ten
For no shops open until then ...

I shiver in this Feb downpour
And await my guests at 'Chaloupe D'Or'
On time they meet, greet and decide
That I should guide them 'from inside'!

Seeking shelter from the rain
We hurry to the 'King of Spain'
Where I, with anecdotes, regale
This kaleidoscopic Brussels tale.

Under foreign rule, from way back when,
Independence made 'Les Belges' more zen
They cope, survive and compromise ...
Yes - a great city – when it dries!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020



Inside the Roi d'Espagne Café - Grand'Place, Brussels

Looking After Number One!

On the budget the E.U. stays Mum
In terms of unity, there's none!
All agree to disagree
That's the way things seem to be.

Our personal interests come first
It's human nature – we are cursed!
Think 'League of Nations' long ago
Though nobly born, its star sank low ...

Are humans really democratic
Or is this concept just a racket?
Cave man fought for his own needs
So Selfishness new babies breeds.

But surely we must pull together?
How can we mitigate wild weather?
Fires and floods are commonplace
But Number One holds pride of place!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

Uncertainties

The sun appears, but it is wan,
Meanwhile, in Germany it's rum
One lone gunman, full of hate
Shoots migrants* dead, incites debate.

Is the Extreme Right on the move?
In Germany a well-worn groove,
Shades of the past rise to the fore
Merkel's condemnation – raw...

Elsewhere precautions are in place
Lest Corona virus show its face
While Belgium wrong-foots Philippe (King)
New Government? A tricky thing ...

Brussels 'Schuman' Summit: chaos reigns
Metro closed – except for trains
More roadworks, traffic cones appear
Of course – this happens every year!

Hanau and Wuhan - headline news;
The U.S. Democrats enthuse
Champing at the bit, they try
To convince us Don must say goodbye...

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

* In Hanau - 9 deaths

The Conversion - A Rooftop View

New Year! More progress has been made
Vast solar panels now parade
On the tiled roof which faces me
Alas, no fir trees can I see.

But this is progress, I'm afraid
Wood-panelled frontage has been laid
A mini-terrace is included
But the neighbour's views are now occluded.

The workmen toil inside at night
At dusk I see electric light
Matters now are well in hand
The inside layout can be planned.

At dawn: huge trucks still park outside
It's been for one year a rough ride
Noise levels sometimes hard to bear
And passers-by who stop and stare...

Our quiet street - in busy mode
Intent on building this abode;
«The end's in sight», the owner said*
But should I take his words as read?

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

* "C'est la fin du chantier".

Out of the Blue...

Life throws a googly we can't catch
A metaphor from cricket match
The unexpected comes our way
We cannot dodge, opt not to play...

The Game of Life has its own rules
We never learn to use all tools
Experience, dearly gained, is fine
But shocks occur from time to time.

A phone call right across the globe
And all my certainties implode ...
My much loved Mum is taken ill;
A kindly neighbour knows the drill.

Quick-thinking, seeing her in pain,
An ambulance is called and came;
Now medics try to find the cause
And all our lives are put on pause ...

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

But luckily it was only a fleeting visit - all is well :-)

At Chiangi Airport 2020

Singapore, mid-afternoon
Bids sultry welcome; deplaned soon
We're met by masks held firm in place -
The Corona virus picks up pace...

Harsh, red print warnings as we pass
The threat, like SARS, is spreading fast
Both flight and airport personnel
Quite conscious of this stealthy Hell.

Winged artwork hails from Mexico
Up shallow steps I stand – mid-flow
Poinsettias blossom in profusion
In vibrant, tropical collusion.

Water fountains, free Wi-Fi
Escape to lounge – time passes by
Thick carpets muffle travellers' feet
Service – generous and discreet ...

Flights on screens – no tannoy noise
Yes, Chiangi airport hub has poise
A casual flip through magazines
«The Straits Times» headlines health care schemes:

Handwashing, disinfecting floors
Wiping knobs on lifts and doors
Cleaners, gloved-up, do their stuff
But are these measures quite enough?

Many people are infected
New cases on cruise ship* detected
Mainland China bears the brunt
Its travellers pay the price up front.

Wuhan lock-down, cancellations
Disruption ruffles widespread Nations;
This enemy we cannot see
But it is real, believe you me!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

*The Diamond Princess

The Pain of Flame!

Bad news sells, good news does not
So bush fire drama stirs the pot
The Coronavirus freaks the press
So tennis miracles are best!

We need distraction, much is dire
Australia is consumed by fire …
A trip on dusty north-bound track
Shows burnt out houses, tree stumps black …

Unless you’ve seen these views first hand
How can most people understand
The heartbreak caused by walls of flame
In this arid land devoid of rain?

Wood-framed homes are quickly scorched
Work of a moment and they’re torched
Winds need no coaxing, embers catch
At a speed no firetruck can match …

Desolation on a giant scale
Charcoal patches in green vale
Stark reminders if need be
That Lady Fire remains Queen Bee!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

Behind the Mask

Does death lurk in the air we breathe?
A virus that shows no reprieve
Its heartbeat deep on China soil
Threatens many lives to spoil…

No crowning glory this corona
A stealthy, non-regal persona
QUANTAS curbs the traffic flow
As Wuhan students come and go…

Quarantine is now imposed;
Christmas Island waits for those
Who have to cool their heels two weeks
As the illness level peaks …

World travel means Pandora’s box
Cracks wide open, breaking locks
The virus, unseen, a leap takes
And an emergency creates…

No vaccine yet – how do we cope?
Containment offers fragile hope
As stocks of face masks fly off shelves
And people fight to save themselves…

(c) Poet in the woods 2020