Nice Out - Joan Etoile

Do you remember ‘76?
When we were told to save all our drips
The reservoir was cracked and dry
And it was too hot for potato peel pie

I don’t remember too much fuss
The boiling sunshine didn’t worry us
All we had to do was bath with a friend
To save ourselves from a gruesome end

Cooking oil was our sunscreen
While we cooled off with Mr Whippy ice cream
No one had a hat or UV brolly
And Zoom was just another ice lolly

The weather warnings are so much tripe
How else will all my tomatoes get ripe?
Why all this panic, why all this blether?
It’s just a spot of bloney nice weather!

Then today in the Co-op I’m taken to task
By a group of children who all ask
“How can you be a climate change denier
When, like, most of France is on fire?”

Joan Etoile


Image : Pixabay - geralt

The Earth Of Your Birth Is Now The Breath Of Your Death - Lyndon Queripel

There’s another rise in temperature
More damage to the ozone layer
Through ignorance and neglect
Now we have the greenhouse effect
In concrete jungles of steel and glass
Electric fences that none shall pass
Go unheard the words being said
By the voices of the underfed

We don’t hunger for your nuclear power
Under the shadow of the atomic bomb
There’s more acid rain with every shower
With a forecast of more to come

It’s in the name of progress to sacrifice
But why do the innocent have to pay the price
On the final frontier of unwritten law
New secret weapons for the planet war
Orbit the Moon and race in space
Another star for the flag to chase
While satellites explore the universe
The homeless situation gets worse

Now our streams and rivers are turning sour 
Save the trees while there are still some
There’s more pollution with every hour
You’d better take it back where it came from

We’ve protested your latest regulation
Ignored all of your misinformation
Even turned our hands to revolution
To find that it held no solution
Now the evil virus of your creation
Reaches out to touch every nation
To control the global population
And mandate a toxic vaccination

Our human rights have been denied
Living under this agenda of fascist fear
Planned to overrule and to divide 
Your New World Order is ever near

Lyndon Queripel

Image : Pixabay - ParentRap

Exit Strategy - Stephen A. Roberts

Hark, do I hear a robot talking?
No it's only Stephen Hawking
Telling us that we're all doomed
Spinning round in space, marooned

We've outgrown Earth and scraped it bare
So it's time to find a new home out there
Sail away from our plastic oceans
Microbeaded by our bodily lotions

We need to go into a new Ark two by two
But it will be only for the chosen few
They'll boldly blast off into the night
And leave this broken world to its plight

Traveling into the dark beyond Mars
To a brand new Eden in the stars
Sounds like a journey with no crisps or beer
So I think on balance I'll stay here

I'll wait with you in the dying light
We can watch the sunset as the animals fight

Stephen A. Roberts

Listen - Richard Fleming

Listen
to the children cry.
Hear their words of exhortation.

Listen
to the children cry.
Hear their words of accusation.

Black, poisoned streams, polluted seas,
bleak deserts where once were lush plains,
species extinct, no beasts, no bees:
all this for quick financial gains.
No grass, no flowers, no forest trees,
just unforgiving acid rains.

Our ill-tempered abdication of all responsibility validates their accusation of our culpability.

Though time is short we have a chance
to change, to redirect our powers.
Our standard stance, indifference,
is challenged as the planet sours,
for every child’s inheritance
is compromised: the fault is ours.

Listen
to the children cry
Hear their words of consternation.

Listen
to the children cry.
Hear their words of desperation.

Richard Fleming

The Granite Ship - Richard Fleming

Waves crash around the granite ship,
unceasingly, unceasingly,
and though the sturdy structure holds
the vessel is increasingly
at peril from the hungry whip
of breakers while the ocean scolds
as we, poor mariners, steadfast,
stand resolute beneath the mast.

Our shipmates, hardy island men,
crew of the granite ship, respect
the awesome hunger of the sea,
its rage, were it to go unchecked,
might rise and inundate again
the living land, our sanctuary.
Our ship sails on, we pray that day
may never come, wish it away.

One day, not in our lifetime, no,
the sea will overcome and spill
across this deck of leafy lanes,
into the hold where secrets still
lie undisturbed: a grim cargo
of wartime crimes, unwholesome gains,
to drown the shining steeples, tall,
and finance houses, one and all.

Beleaguered Guernsey, ship of stone,
sea-salt encrusts abandoned cars,
coats ancient wells, old walls, those trees
that still remain like jutting spars;
encrusts greenhouses, overgrown,
their old vines riddled with disease,
while, constantly, relentless waves
thrust deeper into coast and caves.

We watch the fierce tide fall and rise.
Secure on deck, our granite ship
implants its staunchness in our hearts,
imbeds in us a coarse-grained chip.
We mariners would be unwise,
however, to rely on charts:
that unrelenting enemy
will sink us yet, the sea, the sea.

Richard Fleming

Our Beautiful Summer Days - Lester Queripel

The last thing we need on summer days, is a horrible haze.
The kind that blocks out the sun, and deprives everyone.
We’ve had a long winter and we’ve been cold long enough.
So let’s all join together in a communal puff.
Let’s blow away that horrible haze.
Let’s reclaim our beautiful summer days.

Lester Queripel

Orchestra of Rain - Fred Williamson

Rainfall, between the trees
Running, dripping, from the leaves
Dancing raindrops on my caravan
Believe it, if you can.

Orchestra of rain
Playing again and again
A different tone, the raindrops play
A different tune, every day.

Playing loud and clear
It is music to my ear
The hour passes, rainfalls, hard and fast
How long will raindrops last?

The Orchestra of rain begins to slow
Gently now, a steady flow
The Orchestra is playing 'the raindrops bop'
One last flourish, and the raindrops stop.

Fred Williamson

Tantrums - Ian Duquemin

"Begone" said the wind to the leaves on the tree
"That rustling of yours, it is bothering me"
The leaves spiralled down to the soil on the ground
Scattered on earth, they danced without sound
"Begone" said the wind to the branches of the tree
"That creaking you make, it is bothering me"
The branches broke down and they cracked and they groaned
Falling to earth they collided and moaned
"Begone" said the wind to the grandest of tree
"You could not stand my rage or the tantrums of me"
The tree stood its ground and it's roots bedded in
The wind could not penetrate the rough rugged skin
"Begone" said the tree to the wind overhead
The wind not amused at the words that were said
It ran out of puff... as the tree stood up tall
Defying the wind... and refusing to fall

Ian Duquemin

No Ordinary Day - Janet

This was no ordinary day
when clear blue sky was turned to grey.
As heaven prepared its gift for man
on this saturated land.
Rivers rose ‘til they could take no more,
burst green banks and spilled their store.
For this, no Disney April shower
delighting Bambi’s fluorescent flowers.
No place of beauty here to see,
just a grim reality, that
green and pleasant land was lost
as in grey water it was washed.
Nimbus clouds relentless poured
unwelcome gifts through their front door.
Then swept into their homes unsought
careless of the chaos brought.
While rain fell incessant down.
Helpless Man watched his home drown.

Janet

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

Haiyan Wasn’t God’s Will - Kathy Figueroa

You have done nothing wrong
Haiyan wasn’t God’s will
God is the Creator
And doesn’t ruin or kill
Sometimes bad things happen
That are beyond control
That might hurt your body
But cannot hurt your soul
Belief will help you heal
Will help you rise above
As folks around the world
Are sending you their love

Kathy Figueroa

Sunburn - Jenny Hamon

I think that when the sun comes out
We all would like a tan
And so we expose our pale skin
Soaking up the rays we can

The people who have studied it
Say we must protect our skin
Just use a high protection cream
Slap it on and rub it in

Years ago it was the fashion
To slather on olive oil
With just a touch of lemon juice
And then lay out and boil

This caused you to be slippery
Just like a fresh caught fish
I think it would be more useful
To toss a salad in a dish

But if we over-do it
We moisturise with “After Sun”
We never had these posh creams
When we had burnt our bum!

Mum used to put on vinegar
To take the heat from my skin
Apart from smelling like a chip
Oh boy did it make it sting!

So cover up and be sensible
When the sun comes out to play
We really want to keep safe
Or in the end we’ll pay

Jenny Hamon

Sea Mist - Diane Scantlebury

You creep up
Silently towards us,
Your cold, clammy dampness
Engulfing us
In a transparent cloud of mist,
You appear noiselessly,
Like smoke
Without a fire,
Wrapping your moist cloak
About us,
You obscure the sky
In an eerie white out,
And the naked trees
Stand as silhouettes
Against you,
Your odourless, tasteless breath
Caresses and wets our faces,
Makes our hair go limp,
You bring all that flies
To a standstill,
Then
Almost as quietly as you came,
You retreat and disappear
And life resumes.

Diane Scantlebury

Rainbow - Adrian Osborne

So, you think you need a rainbow ?
to find a pot of gold ?
you need to find it's very end,
or so you have been told..
three wishes or a fortune,
do you wander what is there ?
the legend say's ?
that when it's found ?
you'll live without a care,
Good fortune will surround you,
in everything you do...
A life of smiles and happiness,
find love that's deep and true,
emotions that feed heart and mind,
a chance to start anew.

Now, think for just one minute, please..
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 !!
Our lives compared ?
so very flawed, I'm sure you are aware !!
So consider good within your lives,
as the rainbows golden gain,
acccept lifes imperfections too !!
as we all go through some pain,
and think about that rainbow,
over our world thats gone insane,
It's something that you'ld never see !!
if there wasn't any rain !!

Adrian Osborne

Have Faith - Elizabeth Fisher

Only rain in the sky
Only clouds fluttering by
I'm just waiting for another day
When I know they will fade away.
Sun comes after rain
I'm told
I know my happiness will unfold
Just bide your time
And you will find
Great happiness
And peace of mind.

Elizabeth Fisher

Etude - Aindre Reece-Sheerin

Like an Etude it starts off easy
taking time like a climax of timpani
building and building
bouncing, dropping, lifting, reverberating
gentle, crashes - then more loudly still
always in rhythm, always in rhyme
single notes, then pairs,
quavering, crocheting some with mimim effort
arpeggios and broken chords
diminuendos, ritardandos and accelerandos until
cloud burst of Cymbals
cacophony of sound now like an operatic aria
the stillness has been shattered but
and just as suddenly a
moment of silence returns until
the birds chirp and sing with gai abandon
those previous sounds welcomed and embraced as
the rain appeases the tired earth

Aindre Reece-Sheerin

Our Bloney Winter Weather! - Jenny Hamon

Image Source: Hamon / Buchanan

Our Bloney Winter Weather! - Jenny Hamon

We’re in the middle of winter
And nothing is able to grow
The ground is completely sodden
I’d much rather have some snow

The hedges and banks are collapsing
And roads have been closed by a flood
The poor farmers can’t access their crops
As the fields are too deep in mud.

We could do with a cold dry wind
To clear all of this water away
And then a crisp sharp frost
To keep all the bugs at bay.

But I see they’re forecasting sleet
In the next few days to come
And of course it will then turn to rain
Will we ever see the sun?

Jenny Hamon

Black Rain - Lyndon Queripel

The black rain is falling down again
Dark clouds are rolling high
Up in the stormy sky
I start to shiver as they pass on by

The black rain is falling down again
And I wonder if it’s true
That there is nothing new
Left under the sun for you

If you’re off the beaten track
It’s time to come back
I just heard the thunder crack

It’s been over an hour
Since we had the last shower
And flash of lightning smokestack

The black rain is falling down again
And to whom it may concern
I feel my skin begin to burn
I’m at the point of no return

Lyndon Queripel

Gales! - Jenny Hamon

Batten down the hatches
There’s a gale on the way,
Blowing up the alley
Making the trees sway

The weatherman has forecast
The wind from the north west
It’s going to feel quite chilly
So please put on your vest.

Go and check your mooring
Make sure the chain is good
Your boat is too expensive
To end up as fire wood.

With debris on the roads
Beware of fallen trees
And flooding being caused
By drains being blocked with leaves.

When you are driving home
Avoid the costal way
With waves and stones crashing
Over the wall at Vazon Bay.

This is the sort of weather
We get living on our Isle
So wrap up nice and warm
And ride it out with a smile.

Jenny Hamon

Grey Day May - Andrew Barham

The black days of bleak November
Arrive ever earlier these days
How well do I remember
Those May skies of sunlight and grace,
But day after day the weary rain falls down
And that early promise of Summer fades –
All around me, the cars circle the town
Manically flashing their wiper blades;
Sluicing the dense rain onto the paving
Where the passers-by hunch and huddle
Like bent figures from an old engraving
As they step around the deepening puddles:

I dream of Poe and his bleak December
While longing for the warm Summer Sun –
But we are bereft, left only with its dying embers;
Spring has sprung and already it's done,
May Day ushered in with slatey skies of grey;
Waiting, waiting, waiting for a glimpse of blue,
A burst of sunshine to lighten up our days,
Spring's bright promise of a world renewed –
Halfway through May, and where are the flowers?
They are barely showing through the soggy ground.
Halfway through May and these cold April showers,
Endlessly, monotonously, just keep coming down.

Andrew Barham