R.I.P. Sir Sean Connery (1930-2020)

Sad news today, lump in my throat,

Departure of a man of note

Who, for fifty years delighted

Fans worldwide and then got knighted!

 

Suave, iconic, slick James Bond

The guy who always got the blonde!

Spy rings crushed; villains despatched;

Sean Connery could not be matched!

 

With laid-back repartee and guile

Seducer with panache and style

Who captured hearts like butterflies,

In every daring enterprise…

 

Admired by millions and adored

Highest Academy Award

With recognition next to none:

Three Golden Globes, two BAFTAs won!

 'From Russia with Love’ and ‘Dr. No’

How poignant now to see Sean go

His gentle brogue floats through my mind

He was indeed, one of a kind!

 

‘Indiana Jones’, ‘Hunt for Red October’

‘The Untouchables’ – all gone - ‘tis over;

Connery, Scotland’s much-loved son

Didn’t quite make Ninety-One …

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

25.8.1930 - 31.10.2020

 

 

Our Shrinking World?

 We lose our freedoms one by one;

Against this COVID tide we run

Our troubled business world grows tense …

We balance health and common sense.

 

These drastic measures pave the way

For a brighter dawn – one day!

Meanwhile, all culture takes a dive

Who, these cold times, will survive?

 

We cannot share a cup of tea

With neighbours, friends or family

This isolation takes its toll

Our nerves are raw, hearts on the dole …

 

Not all, but many, live alone

Their lifeline now their mobile phone

High tech is great but can’t replace

The presence of a friendly face…

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

Lock-Down Living

 The phone rings, trying to boost sales

I feign no French, their keenness fails …

These nuisance calls bring no delight

Their special offers don't excite ...

 

Who needs new kitchenware these days?

Or on-line food in metal trays?

Weekend showrooms open doors

A brand-new car (with lock-down laws)?

 

Of course, such pitches must be made

It happens that they will persuade

A lonely housewife, retiree

But not a foreigner like me!

 

Life as we knew it - gone awry

Abetted by grim news on ‘Sky’

Debates on Trump and Biden cook

Swing states teeter on the hook …

 

Injustice, riots, angry strikes

Poverty and women’s rights

I cast around for happy news

To feed my anxious, battered Muse …

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

Wrong-footed?

It’s Wednesday and Dad’s special day

The kids are joyful for they stay

In Daddy’s house each in bunk bed

Where routines can be kiddie-led!

 

Their look of innocence beguiles,

But watch it, Daddy, those sweet smiles

A thin veneer for naughty deed

Their tiny minds are up to speed!

 

Isabella prompts so Thomas voices

One of many outside choices

The weather’s warm but not too hot,

A nature walk would hit the spot.

 

‘Hurry up Dad!’ they both cried

As, elfin-cute, they rush outside;

Dad looks around, but has no clues

“Where did I put my walking shoes?”

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

On Your Farm?

 Man’s worst enemy is Man!

You’ve only got to look around

To see how we upset God’s plan:

Intensive farming isn’t sound.

 

Yes, pesticides produce more crops

And air miles bring exotic food

Yet nature’s careful balance rocks

And poverty is on the move…

 

Free trade – logistics on huge scale

Out-of-season fruit displayed

Who thinks of carbon footprint trail?

We push such thoughts into the shade…

 

Think biomass and biofuel:

That’s slurry pools and methane gas

Vast factory farming harsh and cruel

 All one-use plastic wrap is crass.

 

Who cultivates their veg and fruit?

Allotments once a gardener’s pride

Thrilled with every home-grown shoot

A pleasure many haven’t tried…

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

 

 

On a Wet Saturday

 Fear spreads its wings and cloaks our dreams

Sleepless nights, lost hopes, ravines

Options and perspectives blurred

Freedom - such a hollow word…

 

‘Skype’ and ‘WhatsApp’ do their best

But mental anguish fuels our nest

Awkward-coloured ‘zones’ unfold

COVID leaves Wales in the cold!

 

Now public transport seems a threat

Numbers are right down, and yet

Despite mask-wearing, we are prone

To catching COVID, so stay home!

 

All matches cancelled from today

It doesn’t help that rain stops play!

A playful wind kicks up damp leaves

Nature in October grieves…

 

What joy! Our kind friends keep in touch

This personal contact means so much

As now, with little to enthuse,

We can on screen at least share news!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

 

 

Matters for Debate!

 Trading insults on prime time

Down in Nashville, Tennessee

Vote intentions undermine …

On a knife edge - "wait and see".

 

The days draw in, nip in the air

More restrictions make us fraught

Sporting amateurs despair

Culture vultures are distraught.

 

Tripartite Belgium: on-off rules

Tsunami wave of contretemps!

As yet, no call to close the schools

Ongoing curfew halts élan.

 

As if that were not bad enough

More gloom and doom as clocks go back

Yes, 2020 sure is tough

Our optimistic egg has cracked!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

 

Phase 4 Takes Hold!

For night owls, Phase 4 is no lark

No flights of fancy after dark!

All restaurants have closed their doors

No alcohol from late-night stores…

 

Private parties risk a fine

Get-togethers a new crime

Revels of all sorts curtailed

Nocturnal lifestyles soon derailed.

 

As angry Youth fails to comply

The virus cries out “Here am I!”

All suffer in this murky pool

As some groups will not heed the rule.

 

Disrupted, destitutions loom

The old confined to lonely room

The Nation’s workforce, forced on line,

Feels isolated, lost – big time!

 

We miss all contact with our friends,

Debate with passion these harsh trends

Our personal freedoms on the rack

Our Governments besieged by flak...

 

Invisible the threat, though real

Does China now our future steal?

Their GDP is rising fast

And Europe, helpless, is aghast!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

My Terrace in October

Rain splashes on my terrace wall,

Long straggly tendrils slowly crawl

And hide the cracks of ageing paint

Chickweeds in pots proliferate.

 

Begonias, once a bright display

Mourn deeply, petals gone astray

While celery and onion seeds

Long sprouted, are enmeshed with weeds.

 

My Apple-of-Peru* blooms strong

On spindly stalks blue petals throng

While mint and chives my salads serve

Their emerald colour still superb.

 

No need to water, puddles form

In corners after every storm

The chill makes scuttling insects hide

My chairs, now cleaned, stored safe inside …

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

* Apple-of-Peru plant

 

 

 

 

 

HEADline News!

This latest bulletin of news
Barbaric – shocking liberal views;
The phrase « a man has lost his head »
In France now means the poor guy’s dead!
 
Speech is silvern I was told
But silence would have been pure gold
As tolerance comes up against
Extremists - causing deep offence.
 
A moment – let’s wind back the clock
Two Tudor Queens died on the block;
A disappointed King the cause
Both trial and jury fraught with flaws…
 
Retribution this time - swift
Indicating the wide rift
Between opposing schools of thought
Mirroring the way we’re taught.
 
While all religions have a voice
What you believe is your own choice
The perpetrator quickly killed
But violent outbursts won’t be stilled!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

 Queen Anne Boleyn  1536
Queen Katherine Howard 1542
French teacher Samuel Paty October 16th, 2020

 

For Princess Deva!

 A brand new babe, life’s little gem

From whom this family’s hopes will stem

Brings joy to loving Mum and Dad

The greatest gift they’ve ever had!

 

Sign of Libra, weighing scales,

So in balanced ship she sails

Wrapped up warm, her journey starts

As love grows in her parents’ hearts.

 

There may be waves and storms ahead

But through it all she’ll spin life’s thread

In many colours rich and smooth

As she settles in her groove.

 

Her happy father I’ve not met

But this relationship will set

In motion a new family

Its captain, Julien will be !

 

Sweet Jessica with her Princess

Source of wonder in her nest

A tiny treasure, long awaited,

Life will now be syncopated!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

Making the Grade?

 Although you can grade eggs for size,

Grading people isn’t wise

In terms of numbers do we know

Where the COVID carriers go?

 

With no symptoms, it is hard

To know whose neighbours are ill-starred 

This tag and trace when we eat out

Is hit or miss with room for doubt …

 

The world of culture in all forms

A Neverland where COVID swarms

Schools and Higher Learning places

A breeding ground for unmasked faces.

 

Before - we did not realise

That freedom was our greatest prize

Now stymied, thwarted and tied down

Corona, well named, wears the crown!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

 

Heading Downwards - Again?

 A new week and the sun shines through

Chestnuts strewn in lanes anew

The rain and wind have swept the streets:

Oh, the « mists and fruitfulness » of Keats*...

 

Communications – most on line

How many meet up – in real time?

My treasure trove - my dear sweet friends

All bored, like me, with these grim trends.

 

Fertile rumours feed our fears

Corona peaks, evokes more tears

Our social web once more pulled taut

More mental battles to be fought…

 

Thing is, we shouldn't live alone

Hope plummets like a heavy stone

And vanishes without a trace;

Tough to accept with a good grace.

 

Police in Brussels prowl and pounce

On private parties and denounce

This flagrant flouting of the rules

But who can steer this ‘Ship of Fools’ ?

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

* John Keats,  poet: 1795-1821

The Ship of Fools by Heironymus Bosch c 1490-1500

Chez Flamant, Grand Sablon

The stylish Sablon cuts a dash

Soft furnishings for those with cash

To splurge on sofas – now on sale

Here clients find their holy grail!

 

Dinner placings our eyes catch

Cushions all shapes – mix and match

Attentive staff observe the flow

As well-heeled shoppers come and go.

 

We’ve only come to browse and dream

But love the touch and feel of cream

On furry coverlet and bed

With diffused lighting overhead.

 

COVID precautions in this store:

We follow arrows on the floor

Our imaginations free to roam

On how each would design a home!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

Flamant - Place du Grand Sablon 36

From Bad to Worse?

 How long must guesswork, trial and error

Fill our paltry lives with terror?

Zones change colour – green to red

Statistics muddle up our head.

 

In terms of taking trips abroad

Now that Corona stats have soared

Quarantine or take a test?

Who the Hell knows what is best?

 

In huddles politicians meet:

Curfews, curtailments in the street

Bars and cafés now stay closed

A tsunami of job losses grows.

 

The rainy days reflect our mood

Dampened and depressed, we brood

At present there’s no end in sight

Social bubbles are squeezed tight!

 

New 'add-ons' to our tribulation:

Solitude and hibernation

Pandora’s hope gift scarce survives

Wide cracks open in our lives…

(c) Poet in the woods

 

 

 

Virtual Doesn't Cut it!

 More bad news is hard to take

The health of all of us at stake

The figures escalate and peak

Corona lurks in every street.

 

Our ‘Social Bubble’ shrinks, depressed

Visitors banned from our nest

Health professionals want to care

But rising numbers fuel despair.

 

‘Meet and greet’ is frowned upon

What’s left of culture is now gone

This nightmare shakes its hoary locks

One evil grin and our life stops.

 

While politicians and top brass

Hope vainly that this curse will pass

It digs its heels in, rules unchecked

We cannot know what to expect…

 

On-line working – our new ‘norm’

But contactless, we feel forlorn

Corona rules, its place is snug

But damn it ! Don’t you miss that hug?

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

 

 

A Pair of Babes!

A blank sheet and a dull grey sky
What inspiration will trot by?
BREXIT and COVID don’t appeal
I must find something that is real…
 
Ah, now I have it, joy in spades!
Life continues in new waves
Two friends have shared great news this week
With new babe photos cute and sweet!
 
One friend in Hong Kong proud to say
She is a grand-mama today
In Canada her son and wife
Announce wee Imogen’s new life!
 
Then, near at home and wreathed in smiles
Princess Deva now beguiles
Her entourage and singer Mum;
Two gems will sparkle in the sun !
 
Events like these give life its meaning
May we hold on to our dreaming
Each new life - a brand new start
Breathing hope into our heart!

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

For Imogen and Deva ...

A Joker in the Pack?

The temptation - when we hear the news
Takes all aback – who will enthuse?
A double whammy hits the Trail
Fate intervenes right on the nail!
 
A clever ploy by party hack?
A Trump card pulled straight from the pack?
An interruption in the flow
With barely one more month to go…
 
There’s been a hiccup in the Race
Could this engender loss of face?
Has Fate played a tricky hand ?
What should the People understand?
 
It doesn’t do to hoodwink Folks
And claim the Virus is a hoax
Poetic justice or more spiel?
Time to ponder – is it real?

(c) Poet in the woods 2020

Post the US Presidential election in November 2019.

 

Good News - at Long Last!

No more standing in the wings!

Belgium’s government now swings

From side to side, all are aboard

Bold Vivaldi notes have scored!

 

I talk in riddles once again

King Philip made his point quite plain

This shilly-shallying had to stop;

Now Alexander comes out top!

 

De Croo has got his work cut out

He plans to gives the gals a shout

Will nurses pay and pensions rise?

Today - bright promises surprise.

 

Hesitation is outclassed

The show is on the road at last

But how to know just where to start

With COVID playing a huge part?

 

New helmsman of our dear brave land

Tweetalig, so all understand

Must roll his sleeves up and begin

So, I salute you, Gunga Din!

 
(c) Poet in the woods 2020