La Roque Lane - Tony Gardner

In the nooks  and  the  corners  of  La Roque  Lane
Images,  memories  ever  remain
That  was  where  my  education  was  gained
In  the  soft,  mossy  corners  of La Roque Lane

There  I  learned  about  women,  much  as  a man  can
For  ladies  are  ever  so  not  like  a  man
Of  what  we  discovered  they  did  not  complain
While  learning  our  lessons  in  La  Roque  Lane

There's  a  green  shaded  corner in  La  Roque Lane
That  sweetly  and  softly  will  ever retain
Mem'ries  of  youth  and  of  young  love  that  died
Life's  lessons  learned  as  we  laughed  and  we  cried

And  though  I  am  happy,  content  with  my  life
And  deeply  and  dearly  in  love  with  my  wife
Sometime  I  dream  of  those  bright  days  again
In  that  green quiet corner  in  La Roque  Lane.

Tony Gardner

Image : Pixabay - JACLOU-DL

Fearless - Stephen A. Roberts

Fearless they plunge
in their flimsy youth
into the depths
of the future

Indestructible they are
inured by the belief
that the sea
is their friend

If only their coming
plunge into life
would be so
naively simple

Stephen A. Roberts

Stories - Trudie Shannon

The lads on the ferry are raucous, loud
Laughing, talking, shouting
Strings of ‘friendly’ obscenities about
Cars, women, drink
Hang-overs, conquests and pile-ups
Wearing the clothes they slept in
The same that saw them all spruced up
Smelling of aftershave and exuding pheromones
Out on the pull last night.
They dominate the space
Rude, coarse and harmless
Bouncing stories between themselves
Each one racing to out-do the others.
Other passengers, sigh and look heavenward
Saying nothing but oozing disapproval
Features contorted into frowns until …
One lad says
I can’t wait to get home, sleep in my own bed,
Mum’s cooking tea
There’s a pause and a universal sigh of assent.
The other passengers turn to each other
And share a covert smile.

Trudie Shannon

The Young, The Very Beautiful - Owen Monie

The young, the very beautiful, on days
when sunshine warms the tide-washed azure bays
they make their own,
stride on the sands like emperors of old,
utterly fearless, confident and bold
yet not full grown

nor yet past youth and beauty as we are,
who sit and watch them from our little car
which rarely starts,
with each a bag of chips upon our knee
and battered fish (with extra salt for me)
and aching hearts.

Owen Monie

In a Hurry - Diane Scantlebury

Kids never walk
They always need to run,
Kids never talk quietly
They always need to shout,
It’s the impatience of youth
Can’t wait to know what life's about,

Kids are always in a rush
In case there’s something they're missing,
We tell them to slow up
But kids will never listen,

Kids think they're invincible
They never seem to worry,
They'll leap without looking first
'Cause kids are always in a hurry!

Diane Scantlebury