Anwen and her Knight
A non-serious pastiche of a medieval legend – the heroic knight rescues the damsel in distress. Nothing clever, sophisticated, or unexpected… just a straightforward epic yarn.
Author: admin
Butterfly Beauty
A butterfly lives for only two months. So it is a case of transient beauty. But all human beauty is similarly transient and ephemeral (although it may last for years, not two months). Hence ‘all beauty is briefly bright – a trick of nature’s light’.
Just For You
A love poem – but not one from a man or woman. From the ultimate best friend. Yes, it’s over-sentimental – but who cares?
Quiet Flows my Blood Tonight
I like the mystery of the opening line (‘Quiet flows my blood tonight’). But it is a story of undergoing major surgery 10 years ago, and being alive because of the blood donor – and medics in the NHS - who made that surgery possible. So it is a celebration of 10 borrowed, special, years. And the choice of Puccini as the accompanying music is super-corny….
Dirty Bastard
A pointless, silly, exercise in bad-language? But why not? And why shouldn’t rhyme or poetry use everyday language?
We all love social media – it has transformed our lives. But, as always there are some weirdoes who misuse it and who seem to have lost the plot ('sad losers, nutters and trolls, venomous posters, simply lost souls'). Why aren’t the the likes of Facebook doing more to control these people (they have got the money; they have got the resources) and maybe they should be made more accountable?
Poetry People
Why is modern poetry so difficult, heavy, inaccessible, academic and elitist? Why do poetry people diss rhyme – which most ordinary people prefer?
Test Match Special
A famous radio-commentary mistake occurred in a Test Match between England and the West Indies - although some say it was no mistake, and that the commentators had been waiting for the chance to come out with the punch-line. Either way, it is a famous cricket moment. The Test Match Special theme music is ‘Soul Limbo’ (from the album of that name by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, released in 1968 on Stax Records).
That God-damned Spot
Children are sometimes told that if they have a spot on the tongue it is because they have a told a lie. That is why small lumps on the tongue are often called ‘lie-bumps’. So this is the tale of a husband who puts that childhood knowledge to use.
The Empire
The News of the World systematically tapped phones for many years. It was not just the phones of celebs, royalty, and the famous – it included the phone of a murdered schoolgirl. And it was accompanied by lies, deceit, and corporate misbehavior that threatened to engulf Rupert Murdoch and his empire. To the surprise of many, he and his senior staff apparently knew nothing about these illegal goings-on, and didn’t ask where these exclusive stories were coming from. But a Parliamentary select committee report concluded that Murdoch "exhibited willful blindness to what was going on in his companies and publications," and stated that he was "not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company".
The Golden Hour
The Golden Hour is the hour before and after dusk (and also before and after dawn), when the light is soft and tinged with colour. It is when the daytime animals settle down – and when nocturnal animals begin to hunt. It is a time of peace, transition, and soft, magical, light.
The Rambler
A walk in the South Downs. Our rambler is a ‘man’ of a certain age who buys all the kit – but is really a fair-weather walker.
The Somme
The Somme is a metaphor for the horrors of war – it’s pointless mass destruction and death. That remains as true for us today as it has been throughout history. And it is usually the foot-soldiers who suffer the most – whether they be Roman slaves fighting for the Romans in the Somme area against the Gauls, or the Tommies/Jerries fighting in World War One. The Somme battle was from 1 July to 18 November 1916. More than one million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history. On the first day, the British had 57,470 casualties.
Tread Barefoot on The Broken Glass
Meditation, relaxation – we all need time to unwind and slow-down. But some people end up taking themselves too seriously (‘Self-obsession in poor Nepal will make job worries start to pall’). They need to chill!
Upland Sheep Farmer
A farmer’s life is a hard one – especially if you are keeping sheep on a mountainside. But, at the same time, what is good for the struggling farmer can be bad for the environment and the rest of us (the non-farmers). So this rhyme is in two parts: firstly, the struggle of the upland sheep farmer, and secondly the plight of those affected by flooding caused by the removal of the upland trees and vegetation, and the widening of drainage channels. So on the one hand we can ‘pity’ the upland farmer, and on the other hand we can ‘curse’ the upland farmer.
Bosham Woe
Bosham Hoe is a wealthy 1930’s estate of detached family houses/mansions on the edge of the beautiful Chichester Harbour. But when the children leave home, the elderly are left alone – with their memories, isolation, and worries. So this is a tale of loneliness amongst the aged middle class.
How Do You See Me Now?
The sadness and disillusionment at the end of a relationship that promised so much. And then the recriminations start: Fuck your tears - I slam the door and wish I'd never met you’. There must be a better way to say goodbye.