It’s Time - Diane Scantlebury

It’s time to move on,
Time to start anew,
Time to repackage my life
Into a smaller, tidier parcel,
Go somewhere different,
Re set my heart,
Prepare for another experience
To replace yesterday’s memories,
It’s time to go,
Time to let go,
Untie the strings of the past,
Let life sail to the next port
Without regret,
No point in clinging,
It’s time for change,
Time for a new adventure.

Diane Scantlebury

The Travelling Fence - Judith Anne Finetti

Image Source:  Judith Anne Finetti

The Travelling Fence - Judith Anne Finetti

Once the meadow and hedgerows are neatly trimmed
Up sticks literally and the large flock of sheep,
Four goats and three donkeys and two sheepdogs
Plus the shepherd and his lady wife
Are on the move again to the next valley
Stakes in the ground and the fence is again
An instant stockade.

The animals settle in immediately to munch away
At the rich grass and clover and daises for the farmer
In inaccessible places for machinery to reach.
The goats particularly leave a very trim edge to the fields
As they will eat anything and without the fence would quite
Happily nibble the nearby grape vines.

The older sheepdog with the limp valiantly trying to keep up with his extended family

Three months of drought in Italy but as soon as the heavens opened days later green grass had been shooting up
And wild flowers turned the valley into a patchwork quilt of colour.

The shepherd and his lady wife sleep with their flock,
Always on the alert for sheep rustlers
Their morning coffee enriched with fresh goat`s milk.

Judith Anne Finetti

In Llew Go-Ap - Chris Hudson

The piper played all day long
Many kinds of youth
They are all there, they are all playing
The old folk listened
To the peculiar noise without approval.

The sick and the incapacitated
All joined in
Men and women of all nationalities and beliefs
With “Ee! Ee!” and “Oh! Oh!”
The old housewives
With melodious and lyrical speech

From the hills to the valleys
The islands and the capes
The waking and the sleeping
There was a place for everyone

With rich wine and rich food
Arianrhod and Krishna
From morning to evening, everyone was together

Then the hordes dispersed and the sky grew dark
And the forces of destruction were released.

As the children set out on their sacred journey
The fields and hills spread out before them
All the animals and birds were listening
To the sound of their footfalls.

Chris Hudson

Circles - Joan Raleigh

I saw in a dream
a circle of spiralling suns
spinning from the East,
and as the gauze lifted from my mind
you stepped into that symbol
of the self that is me.

Your love seemed as the Lotus,
that He gazed upon
at His birth.
It devoured my spirit
as I slept, and I knew
the sphere of life eternal.

Was it a cruel caricature
penetrating my inner being,
like the slippery thrust
of a demonic phallus?
Or was the vision a true
intercedent to my senses?

Let me dream of you once more,
and I shall sleep forever.

Joan Raleigh

Clowns - John E. Blaise

Where is the clown with the frown?
I’m searching for the white rabbit
That lives in the bottom of the magician’s hat
Or the dog with the bone free of fat
Barbecued, well done, meaty and thick
Waiting for the fight I’m ready to pick.

Where is the clown with the sad face?
He’s planning to leave and packed his case
Ill- fitting trousers and oversized shoes
Never taken seriously has nothing to lose
A cocktail of smudged greasepaint and tears
He’s never able to expel all his fears.

Where is the clown with the happy face?
Feeling so high in outer space
Bucket of water poured down his pants
Smile disappears as he rages and rants
As the audience laugh, he’s filled with dread
He needs all this like a hole in the head.

John E. Blaise

The Dog’s Business - Jenny Hamon

This week I have joined the club
Of people who look rather smug
They walk at a rate
With a jaunty gait
Wrapped up in their coats so snug

Do you wonder what I mean?
Oh, I’m sure that you have seen
Dog walkers with pride
The dog by their side
Proudly displaying that “he has been”

So this week I’ll walk my grand-dog
And might even manage a jog
I’ll walk with pride
My son’s dog at my side
And the little black bag with a log.

Jenny Hamon

Aftermath - Diane Scantlebury

It’s the aftermath of the storm
That through leafy suburbs
Has ripped and torn,
Weary, rain soaked revellers
Recant tales of lucky escapes,
Of winds that howled and roared
Reeking helpless, hopeless havoc,
Debris scattered and lives displaced,

In the bold, bright light of day
Heads shake in disbelief,
For the rage that shook the night
Lashing all with its vicious tongue of devastation,
Is barely a whisper now.

Diane Scantlebury

The Sensual Garden - Judith Anne Finetti

My garden is a sensual feast
Of which the riot of various colours count least
Yes the blues and yellow and lilacs are kind on the eye
But it has so much more to offer,
My oh my!

They say variety is the spice of life
And the sounds in my garden of bird and bee would bear this out.
The wood pigeon, the robin and the bullfinch
All compete for their share of the bird seed
Along with a choice of insects, hedgehogs and frogs
Who take turns, night and day
Among my selection of logs.

The butterflies are also very varied
And with buddleias and echium and clover to choose from they return each year.
Then there are touch, taste and smell
Yes my garden has so much to offer
And gives so much reward for the labour I proffer.

Judith Anne Finetti

Post Modern and De-Constructed Post Structuralism - Andrew Barham

The killing, crushing, loneliness,
Lost and all alone in the madding crowd –
Everyone wants to belong
So why can't I?

It's time to move on, time to go;
This is not the place to build a dream –
These times we live in …

We live in a Mercantile Age in which
The people who really govern us
Know to the nearest farthing
The price of everything
And the value of nothing,
But we don't even know that
As we stock up on the latest commodities –
Do we even care when the price we see is everything
No matter how high its hidden costs?
The merchants have bought us off with trinkets
Beddazzling us with a glittering array of shiny toys;

In the vast shopping malls
Cluttering up town and country alike
It's Chritsmas Day every day
When it isn't Boxing Day –
Black Friday …

Black Friday, the invention of the biggest box store in America
Is spreading round the world, becoming a pandemic.

In America, Black Friday coincides
With the day Americans give thanks
For the deliverance of their founding pilgrims
By the country's original inhabitants
Who were then ruthlessly exterminated
For the audacious and unforgiveable crime
Of being in the way
Of Progress …

“Gather round all you clowns
And let me hear you say,
'Hey! You've got to hide your love away!”

While they drag us towards our own extinction
In a world governed by Greed and Envy
Where Selfishness is protected by the Rule of Law
And the grasping claws of misers
Are thieving and gathering up every scrap they can glean
From the poor and the dispossessed
While they rob our children of their future
As we bow down our heads and give thanks
To the Seven Deadly Sins presiding over us
That they've spared us one more day
From the looming oblivion devouring our souls,
Is it too much to wish to be delivered
From the trespasses of those
Who trespass against us for the sake of personal gain?

When is enough enough?
When does it become too much?
How much wealth can any man have?
This seems to be the final question
As we pray for one more day
To see us through the endless night of eternal oblivion
Waiting in the shadows just beyond the next moment –
The aching, crushing loneliness
At the root of Existence …

Andrew Barham

Battle-Computer - Chris Hudson

We meet in the middle of this, our battle-ground
This war fought through the ages now bears a distant sound
How were we to know the words, to seed the destiny of mankind’s fate
And now, dead centre, zeroed-in, how do we repair, make haste, begin?

Now rage of combat has shed every drop of blood,
And all sense has fled, from this, our gigantic brain
For this ground we tread is alive with hope and shame
Fear and pain, where electronic relays once clicked

Now the silence of laser beams, all arrayed, wasted, spent
And plenty more of these weapons, no more gentry
This ‘civilisation’ has bent the enraptured will of our intent
To solve all battle problems by computer

Growing, building, planning; we made you-

Now all that is left to ease mother nature’s pain
Is the torn and ragged fragments of this, our crystalline brain

Chris Hudson

Bad Vibes - John E. Blaise

People are crying, lying and dying
I’m in a living hell
I’ve read the last chapter in the New Testament,
I’ve found the beast, but the number is 999,
I want to jump hand in hand with St. John
I want the apocalypse now.

People are lying dying and crying
I’m trapped in a spiral and I can’t get out,
I’m on a treadmill and I can’t get off
I would like to scream, I would like to shout
Please someone help me.

People are dying, crying and lying
I have found out earth is hell
All alone, will somebody listen.
Someone cares I can tell, is there no escape
Mumble and stutter towards the back end of time
Plenty of memories to live on, I feel fine,
That’s the trouble.

John E. Blaise

Trying To Keep Up With The Times - Jenny Hamon

Well that’s Christmas over for another year
No more celebrations and being of good cheer
The tinsel is down, the decorations away
Including Santa and his sleigh

The tree has been taken to the recycling place
The baubles and fairy lights back in their case
What a palaver for a couple of weeks
Now peace and quiet and solace we seek

But do not be fooled that this peace will last
Because in the New Year the dye has been cast
We psyche ourselves up for the next buying spree
As the Easter eggs are on the shelves, I see

But the eggs are a sign that summer is near
As the sun hats and sandals soon all appear
So cheer up, let’s look forward to long summer days
When the Christmas carols soon will be played.

Jenny Hamon

Forbidden Love - Diane Scantlebury

We walk
We glance
We dare not speak,
In the crowd
We’re close
Your hand brushes my cheek,
An accidental touch?
A look old fashioned,
In public proximity
We stifle the passion,
We look again
We flirt,
I sigh
You frown,
Remain discreet
We cast our eyes down,
Our love is forbidden
Covert
Under cover,
For you’re already taken
And belong to another.

Diane Scantlebury

Green Rain - Judith Anne Finetti

I am so green it is even starting to tinge my hair
Well maybe that is not quite fair
I half expect green moss and lichen to grow
On my car, my shoes
You never know

But everything that can be recycled finds its way to join its kin
To be loaded up in the relevant bin
And anything that might be up-cycled to be used again
Is squirrelled away
Every shade of paint you could wish for
And sometimes a brush
Who could ask for more
But to accompany this there is always the rain
Which I have to admit is becoming a pain

In fact it has come to the point
That at ten at night at the Bridge drop off joint
I found myself getting shot of the last bottles and tins
Straight after Open Mic
Where fellow poets exchange like for like

Much to my surprise without the usual traffic and hustle and bustle
And purely because there was no rain
All I could hear was the lapping waves
Quite a pleasant experience
I might even try this again

Judith Anne Finetti

You Taught Me Love - Beth Garnham

I thought I was a stone,
I thought nothing could move me,
Until I met you,
And you taught me love.

Your company gives me comfort,
Your presence makes me complete,
I often experience an inner calmness,
Each time you are with me.

The words of love coming from your lips,
melts my heart,
I poured out my worries on you,
and you listened to me.

I expressed my past pains in words,
You consoled me,
I showed my present condition in its dark form,
You shed light on it.

The smile, the dance, and the moments we share
together fill my memory,
How could I be alone without a lasting companion?
What kind of love can be compared with such like yours?

Flowing from a beautiful and virtuous person,
All combined with an undeserving flavour of selflessness,
I can’t actually put it in words, all you do to me,
But, I know that you taught me love.

Beth Garnham

Fall Out! - Chris Hudson

Let’s play nuclear fall-out
You can join in all the fun
Let’s play nuclear fall-out
Now it’s time to run

The Government
Is quite hell-bent
On making this world
A nuclear pit

So hide in the cellar
And label all the dead
Every Gal and Fella
Gotten by the thread

So let’s play nuclear fall-out
The sky is turning black
Once there’s a nuclear fall-out
There ain’t no turning back

You feel your flesh roast
And your eyes are blind
What you regret the most
Is what you didn’t find

You’ve never done that
Now you never will
Because we’re playing nuclear fall-out
Oh yes, we’re playing nuclear fall-out

Fall- out!
(At the double.)

Chris Hudson

I’ll Just Call Facilities - Rod Ferbrache

The day was hot and sunny and heat was pouring in,
The air con set to cooling, we knew we couldn’t win.
“Too hot” the cry came from a desk right by a window pane.
I can’t bear another moment, and blow the solar gain!”
“I’m going to call Facilities; they’ll know just what to do,
They’ll understand the reason, I won’t sit here and stew.

The one wrapped in the blanket, with woolly hat and scarf,
Overheard the conversation and said “hey, don’t you make me laugh!
You say that you are boiling, and sweating from the heat,
Well come and feel my hands and feet, they’re lumps of frozen meat!”
“I’m going to call Facilities; they’ll know just what to do,
They’ll understand the reason, I won’t sit here with flu!”.

Across from these two people sat with a smile from ear to ear.
A happy warm employee, they had nothing they need fear.
It mattered not if sun or rain were forecast for the day,
They knew that it was certain that the temperature would stay
Exactly how they liked it, neither hot nor cold – just right.
“I won’t call Facilities, and share my colleague’s plight”.

The moral of this story, though common, and quite true,
Is there needs to be more people who love being in a stew.
Or else be pleased at times to freeze, so mates can be just right.
There are bigger battles out there that we can face and fight.
Yet if you call Facilities, they’ll know just what to do.
They’ll go out on an errand, and leave you red or blue!

Rod Ferbrache

The Lion’s Lament - Diane Scantlebury

Was it my imagination
But was that wilder beast tough?
Remarked the lion to his mate
As they lay basking in the rough,

Not as tasty as the hyena
We swiped from the back of the pack,
Or as tender as the antelope
We devoured for a snack,

I’m fit to burst but I must confess
The game around here’s
Getting harder to digest,
Makes me hanker for
The glorious morsels of the past,
When a delightful young zebra
Was a meal that would last,

The savannah’s not what it used to be
We were once so well fed,
Now it’s scraps and scrawny pickings
From a dried up river bed,

I may not be such a gourmand
As I was in my prime,
Oh, if only we could go back
To that lovely, bountiful time!

Diane Scantlebury

The Other Side Of The Bay - Judith Anne Finetti

Image Source:  Judith Anne Finetti

The Other Side Of The Bay - Judith Anne Finetti

Back on the other side of the bay where she belongs
The Dieu Te Garde sits high up on the beach
Living up to the meaning of her name
God really did look after her
After ten days firm on the rocks next to Amarreurs Pier
She suffered the lashing of gale force winds and spray
But did not falter
And those of us who sat in our cosy cars watching a part of the
Epic battle to re-float her for two days felt very humble
For this is the life of our brave Guernsey fishermen
Year after year to bring the fish and shellfish to our tables

It was like The Perfect Storm to watch
The two small figures in the dinghy risking being dashed on the rocks
The two figures on the pier itself facing the wrath of the huge waves
Each one of them risked their lives

And finally at 4.30 in the morning they succeeded
And she was back on her side of the bay, safe and sound
And still the fishermen and friends assessing the damage
Did not lose their sense of humour
When asked which one was the skipper they replied
“Depends if you are buying or selling”

Judith Anne Finetti

Janz - Chris Hudson

The sky hung in coloured threads
Music wiped away our dread
Our senses are drawn out
Into another world, no doubt

Spiralling through the forest
This dance we love the best
Makes contact, brushed aside, and Ping!
Gently wipes away the string

Where she treads there is left
A burning pattern in my mind, until, bereft
She leaves the stage: a hollow room
Where twisted cords adorn the gloom

And now unfolds an image bare
A crazy dance inside: I stare
At emptiness but see there still
Another dancer wild and free
That spins crazily
Through the vortex of my mind.

Chris Hudson

The Miracle of One - Adrian Osborne

"As above, So below", "The Miracle of One",
The "Universal" Truth about....
The Stars, The Moon, The Sun...
Hermes Trismegistus.. The quote is his "Creation",
the ancient "Emerald Tablet"
that gives "Thought" such strong foundation....

The secrets of the Universe,
within one simple phrase
and when you choose to "run" with it,
it sets your "Mind" ablaze !!...
Four Golden Keys unlocking Doors,
deep within the mind,
doors that lead to questions,
questions - posed to all mankind..
Look into the sky,
you'll find some answers in plain sight..
The Universe ? Chaotic !!
and that is why - "down here" we fight?"...

We're connected to the Universe !!...
"our bodies to it's mind"..
We are fuelling its "Creation"
and it does the same.. in kind.......

***As above, so below***
I applied the phrase to? "Moon"...
It sent to me back an audio wave,
a single wave of tune..
I tried my best to understand,
I tried so hard, yet, failed....
My misery... "that point in time?"
My hopes had been derailed.......
The "Sun" then, surely, that will work ?
I applied the "ancient words"
I heard the "Sun" say "over here"
"I'm just behind the birds"....
"Oh well" I thought, "at least I tried",
at least, "I had a shot" !!
and then? the truth, just, "dawned" on me !!
"Genius?" I'm not....

So ? I guess, I'm "just like water"...
my own mind had drowned the quote"..
I'm so shallow and "stagnated"
I can't even "rock the boat"

And that's the real shame, "you see?",
my heart's in the right place,
and I wondered, do I have a "mind"
or, has it left without a trace?..
My "opened eyes" received the "floods"....
"Biblically" "Speaking" !!
This "new awareness" of myself ?
Was Not !! what I was seeking !!
I'd hoped, I'd find a better me !!
but reflection, said it all...
My dimensions can be measured,
by a mirror on a wall...
So I asked myself,, "how can this be?"
I'd thought my "self" quite bright...
my "illusionary light of day?"
"transformed" to "Dead of Night".....
"a curse" I thought, "a curse from "G-d",
perhaps, I'm evil then ?
but, quickly, back I came, to earth..
and calmly "thought" again...

I gave my "thoughts" back to the moon..
It answered "Psst, Come See !!"....
"Your "thoughts" are, well, they're "circular,
that's how your "mind sees me !!"
"It's me" he said, "you've seen me", "round"...
"I was with you", "your first breath"..
I've known each and every one of you !!
from birth and to your death !!.
"Up here", Moon said "it's difficult"
"keeping things.. TOGETHER !!"
"It's the same for you", "down there" he said
"It's hard", "but not forever !!"..
"My Job" "well", "I breath life to you" !!
"I teach you how to feel" !!
I guess you "REALLY KNOW" the rest ??
"awe shukks", "it's no big deal"...

Moon said "I need to tell you this",
"I'm Sphere" "I'm not a "round" !!
and with "flattened" thought now moved aside?,
"well", "WE" should get on "SOUND !!"
"Just take a little look" said Moon....
I think it's plain to see !!
You're course of action ? "obvious"
just set the new "YOU" free !!
"You see it now ? thats right, a "SPHERE" !!..
"Yes !!, "You're a cool one too"....
"You need to think about "Your Sphere"....
"oh...... as if, "you never knew?"..
We use your "vibe" to "innovate".....
you "energise" creation..
we cradle you in "senses",
we create from your "sensation"....
"You're our vessel for experience"
and "Yes", you make mistakes"
but look up here, do you see us now ?
We're the same for heaven sakes !!.

Let's gear you up,
You need to know the secrets of your "SELF"......
YOUR PURSPOSE HERE ?
"A simple task" - "UNIVERSAL HEALTH"
"We've tried to tell you, many times,
Sometimes?.. "I even blush",
but you just don't look up anymore,
"You're all such "frenzied rush!!"...
"Do you know and feel the "real you" yet?"
"I hope you understand".....
"I know the pay is "poor" these days !!
"and your extremely "undermanned".....
I have so much stuff to tell you "All"......
your words, they're barely "round",
imagine, soon you'll "feel" the words
"feel" sight, "feel" every sound...

Understand the obvious...
"flat" is not a choice..
Live your life as "Shining Sphere"..
find universal voice...
As "Sphere" you give out all you are..
Your energy ? Perfected...
"Its energy that "All" deserve".....
"None should be neglected"..

"The Universe" our one true "self?"
It's just "too much" to loose !!
So choose with care, "flat or sphere"..
"for its "All" that feel the Bruise !!....
"Your Sphere" evolves your senses",
"adds dimension, creates more space".
"you will feel your "Sphere" as it gifts you things!!"
"like that smile, that's "ON YOUR FACE" !!"..

I asked the moon about the "Sun"
and questioned "The Eclipse"....
Again, my eyes were floods of tears,
When I heard this from Moons lips.
"Within you, there's a Golden Key,
it shines just like the sun,
it was placed in you, for you to find,
it's been there since time begun...
So occassionally ? I hid the sun,
in the hope you'ld understand,
You purpose in the universe, is actually, quite grand...
"You need to be a Golden Sphere",
that shines for all to see,
you need to change your "destiny"..
and "Sphere" shall set you free..

You can shine just like a rainbow, too,
you'll become that "pot of gold",
you can energise your colour
and youth, and the earth shall not grow old..
you can gift the earth good fortune,
shine your "true self" everywhere,
the simple truth, is when you shine
you'll live without a care,
Good fortune will surround you,
in everything you do...
A life of smiles and happiness,
feel love that's deep and true,
You "Sphere" will feed your heart and mind,
it's chance to start anew.

Moon asked me to - "consider this"..
"a rainbow, where's it found?"
it stretches far across the skies,
it ends, upon the ground.
It's a picture perfect masterpiece !
it's perfection ? very rare !!
"Flat" lives compared ?
so very flawed, as I'm sure you are aware,
So consider "Sphere" within your lives,
as the rainbows golden gain
It's something that you'ld never of seen,
if there hadn't been some rain !!

So, the moon and I, we talked for hours,
of a universal in chains.
He told me that the "chaos reigns"
whilst "secret" still remains.
"The universe it has a mind"
it's mind is you and I,
If we do not learn to think as One?
"The mind in time will die"..

Mind "over" matter, that's the Truth,
The mind shall set you free !
But first you have to free the mind,
be "Sphere" for all to see.....
Everything is "Spherical"
"as within" your "thought" dimension,
The Simple Truth "The Mind is God",
is something I should mention.
The Mind is God, so look at yours,
your thinking still lies "flat",
Transform your mind into a "Sphere"
keep the "body" thin not fat !!
The Universe is like a wave
of "poetry" in motion,
its easy to become, a part,
of the great Galactic Ocean..
You think as "One"
You think of "All"
see everything as "Sphere"
You will feel the change "within yourself"
you'll release the lie of "fear".
The "mind" no more, "a secret place",
where you'll spend your time alone,
As "Sphere" you will not "hide away",
your real "poetic tone",

Fill the space, that "you" have made,
Your "Garden of Tranquility" !!
it is from this Eden "Heart",
that you find you're "true" ability !!
your time whilst here is "energy"..
a gift, you'll turn to "Sphere"..
A gift to you "that's natural"
unlike the "flat" of fear...

It's time to use your "Garden Heart",
to inspire the things you do,
become yourself "A Golden Sphere",
and release the real you...

Sometimes, you'll "feel" the crossed road in your life,
To the left, the grass seems greener,
To the right, unwanted strife,
You can't continue straight ahead,
You're unable to u-turn,
You're standing at that crossed road,
and your "choices" seem to "burn",
These are universal signs,
of the "flattened" human mind,
We forget, sometimes, the simple Truth,
"Be Good, Have Fun, Be Kind",

Be careful when you choose your route,
Apply "Spheres", Golden Rules,
A road walked any other way;
is a path that's trod by fools.
In reality, your "Sphere" removes the crossroad within "choice",
In reality, you'll listen to a more "spherical voice"...
The answer, "Sphere" the question, "at the crossed road in your mind",
it doesn't matter which route you choose,
Just "Be Good" - "Have Fun" - "Be Kind" !!..

The moons voice started fading,
The night then turned to day,
He left me though, with "secrets",
in part two, the'll have their say..

Adrian Osborne

Pulling the Wishbone - Jenny Hamon

The turkey has been eaten
Brown and white meat, we’ve had the lot
The last few bits have been curried
And the carcass boiled up for stock

The last part that is remaining
Is a very special thing
We’ve still to pull the wishbone
And see what that will bring

I’d wish all wars were over
And peace will reign once more
No more poverty or hunger
Or cold through to the core

I hope I win the wishbone
So I can make this wish
And peace and happiness
Will result from my turkey dish

Jenny Hamon

Train Challenge - Diane Scantlebury

Why do I run for the first train
When the next is on the opposite track?
Rushing, hauling heavy suitcase
Hurting my back,
The crazy dash through Victoria
The challenge of the race,
Three minutes to go
Before the whistle blows,
And the doors close before my face,

But I make it
Sweating, panting,
Sticky from exertion and the heat,
Up for challenge number two
To find a vacant seat,
Squeezing down the narrow aisle
Eyes darting from left to right,
Searching for a place
To rest my weary bones,
Try to stay polite,

But no one wants to share
Their personal space,
And guard every inch
With limbs or belongings,
As if an accidental touch
From the jolt of the train,
Could reveal their secret desires
And deepest longings.

Diane Scantlebury

Dear Diary - Judith Anne Finetti

Since January 1961 you have been my
Companion and confidante
Spanning two centuries
Every day an entry
The family historian so to speak
We Capricorns are known for that
Correct dates and records open so many doors

The things we have shared you and I
The highs and the lows
Through puberty and an awakening to politics
and the written word in every form
Especially newspapers
Does anyone remember the children`s newspaper?
And the weight of the world and its ups and downs
Fifty one years and still counting

From a self centred teenager
To a doting mother
Then to a role reversal with a dear mother
Years so full of love
Never a duty

It is a discipline to never miss a day`s entry
Putting pen to paper puts the day in perspective
Summing up the day makes one reflect on time wasted
Must run in my family not wasting time
Precious time because life is so short

Judith Anne Finetti

History Lesson - Andrew Barham

That bright moment in Our shared History
When young people everywhere
Caught fire with an ideal sometime in the 60s,
Letting go, as they let down their hair
Of all the tired old rules and conventions,
Dancing in the street to a rock n roll beat:
New poetry, art and music – the invention
Of mixed media, back then, a novel treat
And all while promoting a philosophy
Of Peace, Love and Harmony,
"For we are all one," they said, "Join us in unity."

Since that long ago golden moment
Hatred and intolerance have returned
And when I look around I can only lament,
Wondering if, after all, we have ever learned
How to live together with each other.
When will we begin to see each other as we are?
Under the disguises we wear, we are all brothers
Sharing in the same universal despair.
I can feel your sadness reflected in your eyes
As you labour under your burden of care
Down deep where I can hear your hidden cries.

Yet, I can't forebear to confess
That I too have begun to feed off the growing hate
Whene'er I contemplate the sorry mess
We've made – the lamentable state
Of our shared world and our common affairs:
The people who lead us and should set an example
For us all to follow, have only led us to despair
As upon every good thing we've built they trample
Grinding us down, stamping our faces into the dirt –
For they have brought us to a new world without care
For the lost ones fallen by the wayside they've hurt.

Greed, selfishness and the forlorn pursuit of money
Have replaced the harmony of peace love and understanding;
Their promised land is not the land of milk and honey:
It is the empty state of endless demanding.
'Where will it go? Where does their ranked equation trend?'
I wonder as I gaze ahead into the murky distance,
'Is this a new beginning or have we finally reached the end?'
For I see only unending desolation wherever I glance.
Can we return to that bright promise of an era vanquished?
For if we don't get back to that blissful state of human unity
The equation's solution is that we will languish
In the Hell we've made for all Eternity.

Andrew Barham

Untitled - Chris Hudson

Carried on a dragon’s back
Into oncoming clouds
The ground is very far away
Hear the thunder’s loud!
The tail writhes and flashes
The wings are sunblinks
Underneath the dragon’s belly
Unsteady sways the rider’s seat
Catch a vision as moon and stars flit past
This dragon’s path is lit
With a glistening white
The moon’s pale face reflects upon the day’s heat;

The path turns red beneath
The blood seeps slowly forth
All is agony, the dragon’s slain
And slides into the earth again
Amidst this faerie construction
Of images complete.

Chris Hudson

Splendor - Kathy Figueroa

A grand council of trees
Stood majestic, serene
Heavy laden with snow
Beautiful and pristine

And I felt reverence
For such a peaceful scene
And awe at the splendor
Of a tall evergreen
Kathy Figueroa

Reality - Diane Scantlebury

Quick put the kettle on
Make a cup of tea,
Earthquakes and tsunamis
Are all yesterday’s news,
Hurry can’t miss the next episode
Of “reality”
Who will win?
Who will lose?
It’s OK our conscience is clear,
We saw the appeal
We’ve given our donation,
So let’s spend more
To cast our votes,
To choose the new, latest talent
Of the nation,
Who cares about the real world outside?
Press the red button
It’ll do no harm,
Until another disaster intrudes,
We’re happy on our sofas
Oblivious, cosy and warm.

Diane Scantlebury

New Year Celebrations - Ros Willard

I wish I could jump on a magic broom
and not have to stay in my boring bed-room.

I’d fly round the world to greet the new year
from Papua New Guinea to Tanzania.

In a house adorned with bamboo in Japan
I’d laugh, hear the bells and wave a red fan.

In Spain I’d eat grapes at each midnight chime
to ensure that next year is a happy time.

In Denmark I’d join boys and girls throwing plates
on the snow-covered doorsteps of their best mates.

In Sweden I’d have a big glass of glogg
to wash down a slice of chocolate Yule log.

Gentle St Basil, with his gift of peace,
would visit me when I arrived in Greece.

I’d zoom in and out of the London Eye
watching the fireworks light up the sky.

In Rio, O! what a sight it would be –
a boat laden with flowers pushed out to sea.

I’d help build a scarecrow in Ecuador,
watch him being torched and hear the flames roar.

Lastly, I’d see the ball drop in Times Square
and pick bits of ticker tape out of my hair

before flying back to my cosy bed
and waking next morning to the year ahead.

Ros Willard