Marry in Haste - Tony Gardner

She  met  him  on  a  Liner
On  a  Grecian  Islands  cruise
There beneath  soft,  starry  skies
And  quite  a  lot of  booze
They  fell  in  love one  evening
And  before  the  cruise was  done
The  Captain  of  the  ship had  spoke
Making  them  both  one
Back  at  home  cracks  soon  appeared
He  wanted  for  each  meal
Garlic  this  and  Garlic  that
Though  sick  it  made  her  feel
Then  they  were  both  invited
To  his  daughter  to  be fed
But  all  she  got  to  eat  there  
Garlic  chicken,  garlic  bread
She  couldn't  take  it  any  longer
Screaming,  out  the  house  she  ran
Straight  back  home,  she  couldn't  sleep  
And  the  murders  then  began.

Tony Gardner


Image : Pixabay - tigertravel

Cruising Into The Sunset - Stephen A. Roberts

The excursion bus awaits
Another day another shrine
All across Europe
We follow time
Back for lunch
And package wine
Siesta by the pool
Under hillside vines
Tomorrow we visit
Another Guggenheim
The days blur by
Living on borrowed time
Boarding, boarded
On down the line
We’re in a city
Scored by tramlines
Don’t get lost and miss
The sailing deadline
The heat beats down
In these foreign climes
The views confuse
Our average age is 99

Stephen A. Roberts

Image : Guernseypoets

Someone Else’s War - Richard Fleming

We thought the war was far away
and spoiling someone else’s day
but suddenly things took a turn:
on telly we saw rockets burn
across the sky, cities were hit …
our cities. That’s what started it.
It seems that one lot broke the rules
and used their nukes, the bloody fools.
Then other nutters used theirs too
and smashed the nuclear taboo.
New York, Rome, Moscow, Gay Paree …
our own dear London ceased to be
and countless millions were surprised
to find that they’d been vaporised.
It seems unfair: we bought the flags,
donated clothes in plastic bags,
showed solidarity online,
agreed that Putin was a swine,
said worthy things on Twitter too …
what else were we supposed to do?
The Government, in whom we trust,
tell us a cloud of deadly dust
will come our way and pretty soon
but, sadly, no one is immune.
It’s radiation: stuff, we’re told
will kill us slowly. We’re consoled
that all our neighbours, too, will die
so this small note’s to say goodbye
but who’s to read it, for the dust
gets everybody, as it must.
We hug each other, whisper love.
The sky is darkening above.
We thought, it’s someone else’s war:
alas, it isn’t any more.

Richard Fleming

Image : © When the Wind Blows - Raymond Briggs

The Creek-Road - Madison Julius Cawein

Calling, the heron flies athwart the blue
That sleeps above it; reach on rocky reach
Of water sings by sycamore and beech,
In whose warm shade bloom lilies not a few.
It is a page whereon the sun and dew
Scrawl sparkling words in dawn's delicious speech;
A laboratory where the wood-winds teach,
Dissect each scent and analyze each hue.
Not otherwise than beautiful, doth it
Record the happ'nings of each summer day;
Where we may read, as in a catalogue,
When passed a thresher; when a load of hay;
Or when a rabbit; or a bird that lit;
And now a bare-foot truant and his dog.

Madison Julius Cawein


Image : Pixabay - KIMDAEJEUNG

The Raven - Ian Duquemin

The Raven
Drenched in darkness
Eyes observing everything
Life... Death... Perversion
Unable to separate
As all is one
Life... The beginning of all ends
Death... The end of all beginnings
Perversion... All that lies between
There is no escape on these fragile wings
As only sorrow is truth
From a baby's cry to the final breath
The Raven observes you all

Ian Duquemin


Image : Pixabay - blackrabbitkdj

The Cry Of The Cicada - Matsuo Basho

The cry of the cicada
Gives us no sign
That presently it will die.



Matsuo Basho



Image : Pixabay - englishcityceo

Translation : William George Aston