Thoughts Unspoken

Now end of March: do I hear snow

Is forecast? Flaky news I know

But with fast changes on news feed

Who believes all that we read?

 

Some families host refugees

From distant land brought to its knees

Resilience seems the way to go:

No gas, no lights, no water flow…

 

The chessboard moves another piece

A shift in tactics, but no peace

Fear and trembling in high ranks

Masking truth receives no thanks!

 

Politics has rules arcane

Vested interests now drain

Good intentions – much at stake

 We ponder options on our plate!

 

I speak in riddles once again,

As there are risks in making plain

Thoughts that are by many shared

But this I will say, all are scared!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

Memorial for Prince Philip

Memorial for the Prince today

Westminster Abbey - proud display;

How different from a year ago

When COVID dampened the whole show…

 

That Windsor service, subdued, brief

Away from crowds, helped private grief*;

Of pomp and circumstance intact

As long-planned funeral plans were scrapped…

 

Today, more royals congregate

In sober hues to celebrate

The duke, whom many so admire;

Determined, he did not retire …

 

Although she has grown frail of late

The Queen remains our Head of State

Revered and loved, still in command;

Her long reign countless souls has charmed!

 

On hand, Prince Andrew for support;

A glimpse of her in green is caught

Still filling her allotted role

Yet, who knows when the bell will toll …

 

Her liege man, Philip, noble, true

Did more than he was asked to do

Full seven decades by her side;

 She, in this hallowed place, his bride…

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

* He died on 9th April, 2021, 2 months short of his 100th birthday.

Royal Wedding - November 1947

Nature Springs Back to Life!

The sap swirls upwards, starts to flow

Wisteria buds on branches grow

Not that the process is advanced

But sun affords a sporting chance!

 

Spring’s action armies now display

Their Sherwood green in fine array

While flowers, neatly marshalled, wait

Their petalled beauty to inflate.

 

Man makes mistakes, as we all do

But spring delights us, right on cue

Her rich profusion gladdens hearts

As Cupid sharpens up his darts!

 

In meadows wee lambs jump with joy

Insects swarm forth, grubs deploy

While woodland pipits must beware:

A cuckoo’s egg their nest may share!

 

Days lengthen – roll on summer time!

An optimism bold, sublime

Feeds the lightness in our step;

A wondrous rebirth, we detect!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

Did you know? "Cuckolded" derives from the behaviour of the crafty cuckoo taking advantage of another bird's nest!!

A Woodland Walk with Charlie!

Sun-drenched, we sat upon a bench

While passers-by - with dogs - spoke French

Around us, buds on trees unfurled

Harbingers of a greener world!

 

Unbuttoned jacket – it was warm

Across the lake big ripples form

As ducks with ducklings glide serene:

Kraainem - bathed in springtime green.

 

Charlie, at our feet, leash-free

Soon keenly dashes off to see

More canine lovelies as they pass

While scattered daisies peep through grass.

 

Life’s quirky exploits make us smile

So, we put the world to rights awhile;

Small pleasures on a late-March day

Which briefly banish thoughts of grey!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

"Charlie"

Albright and Beautiful?

NATO, Brussels: main roads blocked

Opportunity now knocks!

An “Extra” flies in from abroad:

The plan - to broker an accord.

 

I don’t pretend to know the score

As Madeleine Albright* is no more

But diplomacy is still the game

On the agenda is ……e**!

 

The talk is mostly of defence;

The Powers-That-Be stay on the fence

Although vast budgets are discussed;

What happens now? In God we trust…

 

France plans elections*** at this time;

The U.S. suffers “spring break” crime;

Australia and New Zealand say

That COVID tests will be passé!

 

Disgruntled staff on shipping line

So, tourists cancel trips – big time!

Soaring prices at the pumps …

In brief, we all feel in the dumps!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

* Former U.S. Secretary of State (born Marie Jana Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022)

Current President of the USA is Joe Biden

**  Ukraine

*** On 10th April, 2022

Inspiration for title: 1848 Hymn by C.F. Alexander

Intimations of Spring

Right now, broad shadows shade my wall,

Where wisteria soon will crawl

Its tendrils blessed with purple plumes

Its profusion heralds summer blooms!

 

My optimism is rewarded

Daisy and celandine recorded;

In bold hedgerows, woodland lanes

Birds greet us with their joyous strains!

 

Though politics casts shadows dark

And many lives have lost their spark

Hope spreads her magic on spring green,

And baby frogs will soon be seen!

 

Though much lies dormant, keep eyes peeled

For in the sunshine is revealed

Dead wood which now feeds polypores,

Ant armies rise and swarm outdoors!

 

Amazingly, March skies are blue!

Though chilly winds still hasten through

Fine lacy cobwebs hold their own

As spiders keep watch on their throne…

 

The game is up for some small fly

Who just happens to pass by;

Majestic nature can be cruel

Survival is a hard knocks school!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

To Sup, or not to Sup?

Sweet childhoods snatched away, destroyed

Careers and hopes all dashed and void;

Pinched faces stark, with fear etched deep,

Stunned disbelief and lack of sleep…

 

Man’s worst enemy is man!

A scary thought that one such can

Hold to ransom, bomb on sight

Safe refuges – night on night…

 

As always, I will name no names

But there is one whom the world blames;

Has history no lessons taught?

News bulletins leave us distraught …

 

When with the devil someone sups

Power, absolute, corrupts;

When will this horror movie cease?

For eighty years, we’ve treasured peace …

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

 

On the Human Condition

Does human nature ever change?

Life’s challenges form a wide range

Encountered by each generation:

Highs and lows, despair, elation…

 

In-depth knowledge can be sought

Experience just can’t be taught

‘Hands-on’ beats theory any day

You learn by doing – that’s the way!

 

Parents teach their children skills

Watch their traumas and their spills

As their minds expand and grow

Soon they too are ‘in the know’!

 

Joys and frustration are their lot

To get their way each time - is not

So, tantrums blight the tiny-twos

And mothers suffer ‘baby blues!’

 

As young adults, they’re now street smart

Honed confrontation a fine art

Where independence at last reigns;

Cast aside - tough growing pains!

 

The world’s their oyster, it would seem

As they embark on life’s sweet dream;

Positioned firmly at the helm

They spread their wings in business realm!

 

The wheel of fate then turns again:

Responsibilities exert strain …

Then they look back at carefree years

And drown their sorrows in more beers!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

Medieval wheel of Fortune ...

Invasive Thoughts

I think of those who’ve gone before

Now happy on far-distant shore

Beyond the reach of war or pain;

Not like today's souls who remain...

 

I wonder what they would have thought

Of our situation fraught

Where tranquil times no more hold sway

And murky scenes on screens now play?

 

Each generation holds on tight

Yet for its freedom has to fight

Grim times face us, one infers

More nations have to "earn their spurs"…*

 

The Black Prince metaphor is apt

As power seams are subtly tapped

The evil circus rides again:

Invasion by another name...

The time for chivalry is past

Steeds from the sky come hurtling fast

This is no level playing field!

Around us - many fates are sealed …

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

* Like Edward, the Black Prince  (1330-1376)

A Haunting Frame

More dreams shattered, more dashed hopes

As the world’s pariah* cloaks

His real intentions from his folks:

News portals dark;

A huge step in the vast beyond

Souls flounder in Slough of Despond**;

Chattering across the Pond

And outlook stark …

 

Three-lettered words remain unspoken

So, this poem is a token

Of the many lives now broken

And laid waste;

Safe corridors?  Alas, not that

Instead, they seem prone to attack;

Today’s new picture edged in black

Its heart defaced …

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

* Vladimir P.

**From John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" published 1678.

 

A Question for my Readers!

Might I ask those who pass my way

What prompted them to read today

My whimsical and poignant rhymes?

Is a poet heeded in such times?

 

The love of puns and rhetoric

In place of messages direct

Is just one way of sharing views

And making sense of the world’s news.

 

Irony plays a big part

As do feelings from the heart

So, subtlety still carries clout

And poets find their work cut out!

 

Plucking words from rich-veined ore

We tease and joke with metaphor

To express in mocking ways

The thoughts of many in this maze.

 

Beware ‘word search’ of potent names

This is not a time for games;

It’s not what's said but what’s implied

Because the gist is cut and dried!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

In Versailles ...

Are we rolling back the clock?

The world is tremulous, in shock;

Our certain freedoms disappear

In the springtime of this year.

 

No-fly zones, sanctions, Versailles talks,

Europe, pulled up short, now baulks

At tripping into the abyss

So many factors – hit or miss…

 

Strength in unity is true

Yet many gaps are now see-through;

We can’t predict what lies ahead

But must we by the “No's” be led?

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

The Importance of Friends

When families live far away

In times of stress, Angst turns us grey

And throws our life in disarray …

We’re brought up short;

At a loss to understand

This sudden crossroads where we stand

 Fierce flames of worry are soon fanned

And nerves pulled taut…

 

Life bumps us up and down again;

We have to board a speeding train

Will matters soon be “right as rain”?

Much is unknown;

Setting off in trepidation

On a trip sans hesitation

What will be found at destination?

So far from home…

 

When we’re in turmoil, fear and pain

We need our friends to keep us sane

Their kind words soothe and ease the strain;

They bring us light!

In times of trial, we feel alone,

Worries morph our hearts to stone

So, a kindly voice upon the phone

Helps make things right.

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

A Mood Piece

Blue skies and sunshine; is this spring?

Though frosty world news is still grim

Hurried talks in many places

Attempting to kick over traces…

 

The parallels are not exact

Para-Olympians* distract

Some Nations sit upon the fence

But overall, the mood’s intense.

 

Time once again for crystal ball

As stocks and shares are in free-fall

There’s much hot air and talk of gas;

The French have just the word:  impasse!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

* XIII Paralympics  Winter Games in Beijing 4-13th March, 2022

Freedom of Information?

What’s this I hear about face masks?

Dare we hope COVID has passed

Into history’s deep recess,

I’m still not sure, I only guess…

 

Warmongering has pride of place;

We wonder who is losing face

With muzzled news on network channels

Confusion reigns in cyber-gunnels!

 

As war’s first casualty is Truth*

Some weird statistics hit the roof

Free speech is hampered, put on hold

This war, alas, is far from cold!

 

We Poets toy with life’s rich maze

Dead ends and home runs both amaze

As events appear in a new guise

And daily news is a surprise!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

*quote attributed to Greek dramatist Aeschylus (525-456 BC.)

A Puddle Soliloquy

I look in vain for buds on trees

In puddles rippled by cold breeze

But fragile twigs and branches stark

Remind us Spring has yet to start.

 

March begins; Wow! Bright blue skies

As Mother Nature rubs her eyes

Aghast at roadsides litter-filled

Fierce winds our plastic bins have spilled!

 

Trees have toppled in the gales

Men hard at work on parkland trails

Obstructions on the roads soon cleared

While birds build nests and young are reared...

 

Though in the wind my cheeks still burn

I rejoice that winter’s on the turn

As daffs now sprout by neighbour’s door

And fronds unwind on woodland floor…

 

Regardless of Man’s reckless pride

Nature takes all in her stride;

Rebirth, revival in the air

Despite the tread of the Brown Bear!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022