Thoughts on St. Andrew's Day

As it’s all digital these days

We flounder in an I.T. maze;

Real contact is a rarity;

Who really shares a cup of tea?

 

To be 'hip', you must be 'on line'

But living ‘through screens’ isn’t fine;

Lonely souls just cannot cope

It’s all just hype, buoyed up by hope.

 

With mental anguish on the rise

Depression overwhelms our eyes …

Whereas an in-depth chat with friend

Can often help our Angst to mend.

 

But outward signs are so discreet

That sadness, hidden very deep,

Is not observed until too late;

We all have so much on our plate…

 

December’s tinsel-fuelled veneer

And outward ‘bonhomie’ can scare

We mask our loneliness and smile

But solitude can be a trial …

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

 

The Cup Runneth Over

We’re all shook up in many ways

And no, I don’t mean a dance craze

Another earthquake* – many die:

Indonesian lives awry …

 

Our planet boldly shows its might

We never know when it will strike

Though humans think they know the score

Dame Nature holds us all in thrall…

 

This year’s COP** - in tatters

No firm decisions on what matters;

Extensive floods in Pakistan

This crisis is no  “also ran”.

 

Meanwhile in Doha, cool of day

The World Cup teams begin to play:

Surprising win by Ecuador***

Qatar retires with a nil score.

 

Vast stadium and flood-lit pitch

In sandy desert for the rich

Where politics has other goals

Troubling many sanguine souls …

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

** in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt

*** 2 - 0 

* West Java

Our Mini Madonna!

More darling photos come my way!

Isabella’s latest trait

Is playing Mum to swaddled babe;

Deep concentration is displayed…

 

Wee Madonna minds her child

Her cheeky grin now calm and mild;

At almost five, she’s learnt to share

So, dolly gets her full-on care.

 

Held proudly close, in sweet repose

Is Isabella in the throes

Of bonding with another “being”?

I’m so touched by what I’m seeing.

 

A well-appointed pram stands by

Where baby sleeps when bedtime’s nigh;

Clever Mum has thought it through

This “babe-in-arms” - her déjà vu!

(c) Poet in the Woods 2022

Bali Parlays

Perhaps I should forego the news

Too much hype and trenchant views…

We try to keep on even keel

But this new bumpy ride is real;

 

Take Bali, that idyllic isle

Known and loved for its warm smile.

At 3 a.m. much lies at stake

As fear grips statesmen who awake

 

On the brink of war, (mistake?)

With two sad deaths in Polish State

Is Peace in Europe wafer-thin?

When will Common Sense wade in?

 

Bi-lateral pow-wows soon take place

The Common Good - still in the race;

We tiptoe, teeter, hold our breath:

War brings only loss and death!

 

Danger over? Are we sure?

Just what was NATO set up for?

We ponder on this latest drama

Hoping to avoid more trauma …

(c) Poet in the Woods 2022

World Kindness Day

Facebook brought me up to speed:

World Kindness Day! Just what we need

With so many in despair

As this is one helluva Year.

 

The “Special Operation” cloaks

Horrors for so many folks

While COVID lingers in the wings …

Eternal roundabouts and swings.

 

Late sunshine may serve as a warning

A new and scary world is dawning

But Mid-Term outcomes offer hope

That Common Sense is still afloat!

 

COP 27: Sharm El-Sheikh

What direction shall we take

As climate change is no mirage

The question is – how to take charge?

 

Uncertainty – our human lot

Are we responsible, or not?

World leaders have a role to play

As kindness goes a long, long way …

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

Death in Rue d'Aarschot, Brussels

Armistice Day fell this week

Brief time out in routine bleak;

Lest we forget - two policemen shot*

Near North station – rue d'Aarschot;

One died outright, the other ails

The terrorism theme prevails …

November sunshine - more blue skies

Kids kitted out in shorts surprise;

Post general strike, STIB trams are back;

Now shop displays our eyes distract.

We purchase what we do not need

Bedevilled as we are – by greed!

Big crowds now flock to cut-price stores:

A spending spree that gives me pause … 

An artist’s dream these autumn hues

How can a poet not enthuse?

 

Some lucky souls avoid this fuss;

A long walk in the sun seems just

An ideal way to spend free time

So, nature’s glory prompts this rhyme!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

* actually it was a stabbing on 10th November, 2022 - Rue d'Aarschot in Scharbeek

In Hot Water!

All change! All change! More of the same

Belgian workers strike again!

Grumbling echoes on shop floor

Mean transport is “perturbed” once more.

 

The STIB, on which most still rely,

Curtails its network; loud outcry

As plans and meetings are curtailed

The daily grind upset, de-railed!

 

At such times, we’re annoyed, in shock;

Our tranquil status quo - is not

Though vital service is maintained

Long-term - solutions are no-brained!

 

Inflation soars; with wages low

A general strike’s the way to go;

Such inconvenience is deplored

But fuel costs rise across the board…

 

With winter waiting to disclose

Its frosty coat, we’re in the throes

Of a dilemma:  heat or eat?

With a bubbly hot bath a rare treat!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

 

The Modern Soapbox?

Think 'platforms' – and what springs to mind?

A well-lit stage with cast behind?

For footwear freaks, high platform shoes*

Catwalk craziness – bad news!

 

Raised flooring – horizontal plane

Is what our dictionaries proclaim

But it has now acquired new guise:

A meteoric on-line rise!

 

There are platforms poised for points-of-view

Politicians use them too

The virtual world spreads everywhere

Enabling you and I to share.

 

Behind the scenes, sites canvas votes;

Their popularity denotes

That when anonymity is key

Unbuttoned truth roams bold and free!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022

* Platform shoes!

City Life - Post-COVID

In fading light our tired heart grieves

Sharp gusts of wind stir more bronze leaves;

It’s hard at times to brave the cold

November dawns - the year grows old!

 

More lofty beeches bend and sway

As through the wind some forge their way

Through darkened streets as still they must;

For early birds, it’s rush – rush - rush!

 

But, thinking hard, I realise now

Fewer hands wield office plough

Home working since the COVID scare

Means offices have desks to spare!

 

Who sees long queues at sandwich shops?

The buzz once heard at lunchtime stops

Life as-we-knew-it - on the wane

Gentler journeys on the train …

 

Today more tend to buy on line;

Though shops their price tags slash - big time

But customers don’t queue at tills

Discouraged by huge heating bills!

(c) Poet in the woods 2022