Poems

The ash went in the river And it floated to the sea; Burnt offerings to feed the fish Which nourish you and me. From Auschwitz to the Vistula Which flows with human blood, Mixing with the water And then mingling with the mud. The smoke went up to heaven And then fell...

Give it to her, Kvitova, No runner up, She’s won the cup! The game is over For Sharapova And for Nadal Who lost as well To Djokovic, The Serb who served To win the Men’s, Now super rich. And they’ll all be here Again next year With Andy Murray Who needn’t worry; If he...

As with all good rides It starts with a slow climb, ratchets click The juddering advance to the skies, hardly slick As your life develops during childhood years It starts and stops, full of hopes and fears Onward your journey to the top At the crest of the rise a...

I knew a magician Who could turn himself Into an honest politician, The only one that ever was. More powerful than Merlin With more wizardry than Oz. He walked upon the water And over burning coals. He’d lie upon a bed of nails And not make any holes. He’d meditate...

Toffee was a lovely cat And she loved me, I’m sure of that. She’d sit upon my lap and purr, I’d scratch her head and stroke her fur And she would snuggle close to me, A little bit of ecstasy. She always knew when things were bad, She seemed to sense when we were sad...

Holiday time is with us once more Time to visit some foreign shore Join the rush to pack up and go Away from all of the friends that you know Sit at the airport anxious to hear Departure of your flight is quite near But wait a minute what did they say? “Sorry to tell...

Build me a sandcastle granddad With turrets and flagpoles on top No you can’t eat your dinner We’ll be too busy to stop It needs a big moat all round it So dig it as deep as can be It’s got to big to be able To stop the in-coming sea Dig a bit faster please granddad...

How much of human life Is lost in waiting,waiting For bus or train or ‘plane Waiting, always waiting Waiting for that moment To speak and let her know How long you have been waiting To say you love her so Or waiting for a new sign Of hope,when someone’s ill Waiting...

Call me Dave was fearless His manifesto plain He would not stand for nonsense In Parliament again On crime he would be stronger The public he won’t fail He’d catch up with the villains And lock them up in jail And as for all the old folk “Rely on me to see Their...

Last week I was in Grantham Looking after someone’s cat It wasn’t such a hard job So what was wrong with that? The situation changed me My conversation grew Every day this cat and I Chatted word and mew Meow meow this cat would say And then I would reply I don’t know...

In Flanders Field the poppies grow Even when the Sun is low They hold our place for the soldier Who will not get to grow much older Now you hold our torch so high In Flanders Field we'll not die We still try to see Sunshine in the sky Even when the birds don't fly

I’ve seen many pets in my life Though no particular variety comes to mind When I think of what may have been a favourite What sort what shape what kind But of late my thoughts have turned Away from what others might think As I look at the fluffy objects I’ve acquired...

My Grandpa had a conscience Because he was a member Of the Poplar Board of Guardians, Administering the Poor Law In the poorest part of London In the early nineteen hundreds. They oversaw a workhouse. These were full of paupers, The undeserving poor, Who caused their...

Hi Mum now don’t you worry Cos’ I’m not home with you For you’re a busy Woman And there’s lots of things for you to do I knew that when I joined the Army My former life would change And giving up Civilian life At first was rather strange But all the things you taught...

North East South and West The College aimed to provide the best Throughout the years Manby trained a lot For many who attended they never forgot The ensign has been lowered not to rise again Now for this Station there’s no more aircrew to train The rush of Station...

Am I the one you’re looking for?. Yes me, just here outside the door You don’t need to know my name I’m the one who gets the blame When you’re nearing the end of your tether I get the blame for the terrible weather When you want to let it out It’s me who left the...

My daughter asked if we would help them view a flat. It was in Lee Green, somewhere in South London I had never been. Getting there was slow. The traffic had to funnel from three lanes into two to get it through the tunnel. The flat was very spacious with garden and a...

I love you, what more can I say And that’s how it’s been since the day That someone suggested I ask you out. How could it be that someone like you would go out with me? But I plucked up the courage; had tickets to a wrestling match, Though you wouldn’t go, you firmly...

Racing green, flecked with lemon, leaden, leathery to the touch. Oval like a rugby ball. Press the ends and feel for give, telling you that it is ripe. There’s enough to split it up into six delicious portions. Serve it chilled, not icy cold. Scrape away the slippery...

I want to be adopted. I need to have new parents With buckets full of money To buy me lots of presents. They’ll leave me all their assets And when I’ve paid the tax I’ll still be left with millions And then I can relax. I’ve written an advertisement, It’s ready for...

Look at a tree. Now close your eyes; Imagine it bare. Which seems more real, The tree you could see Or the one that’s not there? Using your mind Fly in the sky. Circle the earth. Experience life In millions of ways, Enriching your days With sights and with sounds And...

I lay my soul before you my love, this I give for you to keep I will have no need any more, not now you go on your final sleep My life was you and always will be, living is now going to be hard How I will manage I can’t see my love, a love that I can’t discard I place...

Here I am in a foreign land Aware of hate and danger Prepared to give a helping hand To any needy stranger Here I am on foreign soil Unsure who’s friend or foe Tired--and temper on the boil And scared to let it show Here I am in a foreign town Searching room by room...

“Once upon a time,” Heard with anticipation; Producing new realities In my imagination. Tales of magic and of fantasy Of paupers and of kings; Some colourful, some frightening, Of wondrous happenings. Tales of dragons and of maidens And of giants and of knights; Even...

My father and I went to the circus Under a Big Top in Lea Bridge Road. When it wasn't there the ground it was on Was used as a fair and we went there too. But back to the circus, with animals then; Elephants, seals, horses, lions, chimpanzees; The men and the girls on...

I sit by my window and look at the snow; My door firmly closed. Inside, it's warm; outside, it's cold. When I was young and I was more bold I would be out in it, having some fun; I'd slide and I'd run. But I'm getting old And now I am scared that I'll slip or I'll...

On a bright summers day The skies cloud over, dark and grey There is an electric feel and a smell on the air Very soon Mother nature will give us something to share There is a pita pat as the first drops fall This is going to be a hell of a squall The heavens open,...

The storm has passed Its safe to emerge at last The Clouds break and boil away Light beams down spotlighting fields of hay Dark shadows of clouds chase each other along the floor Leaving steaming soil in its wake after the downpour In the streets kids emerge to play...

The British the Irish, So near yet so far. They speak the same language, They both like a jar. They marry each other, Are personal friends. It’s time that their national Enmity ends. The Queen’s recent visit, The warm McAleese, Has proved to the world That it’s best...

There once was a young girl, who walked over fields of hardened snow, With her dog, her companion, no direction just following where their footsteps go. The fresh snow crunched under their feet and paw with loudness to proclaim Here we’re coming, ready to enter into...

When once the heart bled tears of red, when your love was sadly lost Should the pains sustained within, count sorely against the cost If your head is full of memories of pain, once joyful now painful to bear What room for love or tenderness, destroyed by the pain that...

When does the truth become so evil, waiting to cause such pain and distress? What is needed to take it away, so many times I have sat to confess Tell the heartbreaking stories, the truths I have seen and see every night Yet I find there is no release, sympathies that...

I gave a gift to God today; the gift was all I had I know it will be treasured, I still feel very sad I would have given my life, it would not suffice The gift the angel took away, such a heavy price I know that they are grateful, an angel custom made Given an...

I was forged within the wilds of the Afghan, given wisdom only a warrior can understand Determined to stand and do my duty, ensure the defence of the fields in which I stand I was trained to prepare for my duties, training I received can only take me so far Only in...

Bear my body in this coffin; drape it in the union jack Lay I down gently, covered in soil for I won’t be back Bring the ladies to cry by my grave, perhaps toss a rose in Better have a priest standing there, somebody has to forgive me of my sins Then fill my grave...

From hundred yards to marathon, From rowing to the beam, The young are here from round the world For their Olympic dream. The best have come, from Michael Phelps, Chris Hoye and our Beth Tweddle, All fighting for their Country In pursuit of a gold medal. The stadium...

Parading flags and country names The world has gathered for the games. They’ve all come to Londinium To our Olympic Stadium, In peace and friendship to abide, Putting enmity aside. So here, in healthy competition, Athletes chasing their ambition Will be more perfect...

In the forest, Robin Hood, because he was very good, Robbed from the rich, gave to the poor but no one does that anymore. Now we have a robbing hoody, definitely not a goody, Mugging kids and granny bashing, nicking cars just right for crashing. He’s never in the...

They put me on a jury, Compelled to serve my time, I said that I would string them up If they could prove the crime. The judge was a Recorder, A stand-in I presume. In order to keep order She banned titters from the room. The witnesses were nervous, The jury was as...

This is what I’m told is wrong, We’re letting people live too long. We should shoot them all like horses When they drain us of resources. The elderly are everywhere, We can’t afford their social care And if they cannot pay to thrive What right have they to stay alive?...

Oh why did my folk come to Britain, To this place at the end of the line, For there’s nothing here but the weather and beer In this land where the sun doesn’t shine. If they would have crossed the Atlantic And I’d have been born in the States, From the age that I am,...

I looked in his grave; He lay next to Mum And then, in my head, A picture had come Of days when at school And home for my lunch. My friends all would call; A glad, noisy bunch. My parents were there And they both looked on. I thought of those days And realised they’d...

An entrance for boys An entrance for girls The boys with short haircuts The girls with long curls They used separate doors But they met in the middle Though went separate ways When they needed to piddle They had different clothes And they played different games In...

All that I own Will be cut to the bone When I reach my old age And I’m put in a home. And they’ll take away All my assets to pay Their exorbitant price For my keep every day. So, a sensible man, Now I’ll spend what I can And get rid of the cash That I once used to...

Today she is one. She is the star! Her mother, her moon, and her father, her sun, Put her in the car and they’re off for a run. They go to a place that they’ve booked for the day. Her grandparents come to watch their star at play. But amidst all the pictures of cows,...

This is a no fly zone, It’s called the Ladies toilet. You can only come in here If you wear a skirt. Anyone with flies Must go to the Gents. I am the attendant, Soon to be redundant. The Council has to make its cuts. It’s a major exercise, Toilets must be circumcised....

Rat- a- tat- tat The rhythmic beat As drums urge on The marching feet Then bugles blow To raise the pace On to the front The foe to face Sergeants shouting At one and all Determined that The pace won’t fall Colours waving All held high Reminders of The wars gone by...

Do you consider your views most important And commit them continually to word Subjecting the many to endless receipts Of opinions that have to be heard. Whilst I’m sure that your mission is worthy Against those whom you might not agree These mails that you type, that...

I saw a girl once, in a far-away place, whose face I can still see, she was begging She was very young, six at best And she stood on an empty street. I took a picture, I don’t know why Begging kids and old ladies weren’t rare Yet this place called Varres was deserted...

I woke up this morning my thoughts of dad,does he know that am so proud and glad He is one of the few that did his best, many of his friends have been laid to rest At his base I waited for him, I watched the Hurricanes landing in At his hard stand I wait for him a...

The man I see in front of me I remember when I was three He made me laugh he made me cry he was there when my father died When I was sad he made me glad and he took the role of my dad He sang me songs he read me books the brother I see the enemy he took We lift my...

A summer Sunday we a laze around, mechanics working is a distant sound I turn a page and look around, I see pilots sleeping on chairs and the ground I hear a ringing, I hear a distant yell, but there’s no mistaking that scrambling bell First the phone, then comes the...

Am trained to the highest am one of the best I work in line of eternal rest, I see my position way up high, as I climb the stairs I fear this is where I’ll die, The enemy advances from the fields below, through the sight of my rifle I see the fear they show, Alone in...

I work for a government who I don’t believe is right, they will send me to war where I will have to fight No enemy army threatens our shores, but yet to follow my orders, of to war I go Much has been done to continue this fight, but seeking piece wouldn’t that be more...

Slowly turning brown In the early Spanish sun Applying sun tan lotion Till every part is done Drifting into dreamland Forgetting cares and woes Exchange rates now forgotten Now warmth is on your toes Hordes of happy campers On Spanish costas lie Spending all their...

Life can be so cruel It takes away the spark Wrenches at the present And leaves you feeling dark Someone who you care for Intelligent and bright Is hit by creeping illness That soon will dim her light Why is it that this loved one So filled with bubbly life Should...

The crumbling edifice of love Falls slowly to the ground Shattering my confidence And hope that I had found Down comes that towering giant In clouds of choking dust The girders that once held it Now twisted-steaked with rust Where once I breathed such sweet air Now...