A Winter's Eve - published Cambridge News 17 March 2014

A Winter's Eve

As winter’s eve draws to its close

Long wavering line of seagulls fly

In chevron stretched on fading sky

And trees their deepening shadows throw

Mysterious bark of hidden deer

Sliding  through the bosky glade

Ephemeral in the thickening haze

Their phantoms in the distance fade

The creatures of the night bestir

Poised alert with listening ear

For secret rustle with care to muffle

Each tiny sound from elfin paw

Alert in case they danger hear

They furtive slink through ghostly trees

And timorous through the gloaming peer

For hunters red in tooth and claw

The eerie hoot of twilight owl
A robin trills his evening song
The silent fox slips out to prowl
A misty moon and nights are long

Glimmer of pale elusive star

Evening stills with breathless hush

Awaits the stealthy advance of dusk

Smell of frost in the air

Autumn - Published Cambridge News October 2012

 

Autumn



The autumn light slants through the trees

With dancing shafts and pools of shade

Illuminating mellow leaves

With touch of gold and hint of jade

A brilliant splash of scarlet bright

From  berries decking hedgerow long

Luminous in hazy light

And robin trills his winter song

The early morn sees drifting mist

And as we watch the summer fade

The evening air is winter kissed

The countryside to rest is laid

*

More Stowaways.... Published Cambridge News 7 December 2013

More Stowaways

The dog’s been loaded into the back

Attentive eared he awaits his walk

Packed in are boots and sticks and  mac

Beseeching eyes have mine besought

I’m ready to leave,  but my mind is abstracted

When gradually I become distracted

By an unusual sound demanding attention

While my hand is hovering on the ignition

The car is not running so it can’t be the engine

It’s a sort of sotto vocce whirring

Its lucky I haven’t started the car

And better still have not gone far

The boot of the car is contentedly purring

Its passengers are most  bizarre

Around the dog’s legs his cat is curling

  

Tunnel of Gold - Published Cambridge News 13 November 2013

Tunnel of Gold

A beckoning path that wends its way

Through arching tunnel of golden blaze

Lined with pillars of ebony bark

And lit by luminous autumn rays 

Every tree is veiled in gold

Reflected by brilliant carpet beneath

Turned to riches by autumn's cold 

Each branch adorned with shining wreath

These glistening coins bedeck the trees

And line the path with golden flames

Drift silent down as autumn breathes

To settle and shimmer as summer wanes

Amber and ochre and saffron and red

Leaves tremble on every branch and stem

Hung with medallions like sequins on thread

They are lit from within like Cabochon gem

This inviting trail entices our gaze

Its mellowing glows with lambent light

And the golden haze of autumn days

Lingers into the misty night

Waterproof - Published Cambridge News 30 Oct0ber 2012

Waterproof

I dropped my mobile into my coffee

And it never worked as well again

It made it come out somewhat frothy

And it spoilt the latte – such a shame

A friend has dropped his into his beer

It made a good splash and wasted some cash

So that glass of lager became rather dear

And my mother has  dropped hers into her tea

A bad idea this as turned out to be

And alas one fell out of the boat in the sea

It slipped over the brink and into the drink

We all watched it sink as it made us think

That why all this happens isn’t quite clear

Some have been cleaned in the washing machine

Or gone one load higher in the hot tumble dryer

And I’ve heard of one that went down the toilet

Not only wet but would certainly spoil it

If it falls in the saucepan you could even boil it

My last one drowned in the Dog’s water bowl

If it wasn’t annoying it would have been droll

*

So clearly the manufacturers ought’a

Make all their cell phones resistant to water

Grandmother's Darlings... Published Cambridge News 1 November 2013

Grandmother's Darlings...

These grandchildren are my delight
But at the end of each exhausting day
When off to bed they're on their way
With great relief they're kissed goodnight

But its difficult to write poetry
When caring for these darling children
And this applies especially
When they won't do what they are bidden 

If they squabble and brawl

Or have tantrums and bawl

I can’t hear my muse or rhyming words choose

When perchance they are chidden

If they wail and yell creating mayhem and hell

They really aren’t very nice

But when they are good and do what they should

These angels would melt a heart of ice

When they do what they are told

And don’t whine, or fuss  or moan

They  both behave as good as gold

Then they would melt a heart of stone

The clouds of tears will soon blow over

Miraculous smiles come out like the sun

And then when all is said and done

They’re dreadful – but they’re dreadful fun

At night when they are fast asleep

Forgotten tears now dry

With curling lash on rosy cheek

They like sleeping cherubs lie

At the end of the day or the close of the stay

We give them back and go on our way

With magic moments without measure

And  memories we will ever treasure