Leg Of Lamb - J. Archer Avary

all I wanted
was to win
the leg of lamb
at the Saturday
meat draw
I rushed to the pub
after work
bought two strips
from the ticket man
and listened
for my numbers

the leg of lamb is
always the first to go
then the beef joint
then the gammon
then the steaks
then the whole chicken
with sausages
until the only thing left
is a package of Chinese
chicken drumsticks
then it disappears
and I feel like a loser

all I wanted
was to win the
leg of lamb
to win something
anything
so I went to the pub
next door
where numbers
are now on sale
for the next meat draw

J. Archer Avary

Making Your Mind Up - Becky Hall

A numerous, moment by moment, daily ritual,
automatic, or considered
decisions are personal;
stamped as our own.

Truth can be in short supply
when revealed, could be denied,
presumptions we must set aside
let facts, not rumours, in our minds, reside.
Whispered in our ears
played out before our eyes,
lies acquire a myriad of disguise
lurking in our peripheral vision
intention; to cause division.

What then should we do
when faced with a decision or two?
let our moral compass guide,
be willing to listen to another view,
don't just accept; question,
information accumulate-diverse providers assimilate,
we may find the track of truth arrives at an unexpected destination
delivers us to a different platform,
after making our mind up.

Becky Hall

Armistice Day, France - Trudie Shannon

Armistice Day
And the café is two thirds empty.
Vacant seats that evoke images
Of men unknown
Who drank coffee, made love, fathered children
Teased their siblings, loved their fathers, idolised their mothers.
Unknown and faceless here and now
Yet these empty seats exude their presence somehow.
Their voices infiltrate the conversation and the music,
Their invisible footprints leave muddy trails upon the floor
And the dank smell of their unwashed bodies and uniforms
Permeates the air and outside there is a
Staccato rhythm to the silence.
It is not raining.
It is not nighttime
But there are ghosts, drifting hopeful
Around these empty tables, these vacant chairs.
And suddenly in isolation, tears cascade into my cup.

Trudie Shannon

R.I.P. Sean Connery 1930 - 2020 - Anon.

Dr No was first to go
then Blofeld followed after,
now they are joined by Bond, James Bond,
there in the Great Hereafter.

Sean Connery, AKA Bond,
the very first back in Year Dot,
has left us shaken also stirred.
He was the best Bond of the lot.

Anon.

Tunnel Vision - Donald Keyman

King Gavin has been banished from the palace
For refusing to accept the poison chalice
For he and wise old Soulsby knew
That the virus would still get through
Brought in by people who are exempt
Who treat the rules with pure contempt
The essential worker back from holiday
Has an unwanted souvenir of their stay
Just like Carter’s mummy’s curse
But this one’s real and much worse
Questions need to be answered quick
Before the rest of us all get sick
The silence smacks of cover up
Are they waiting for the penny to drop
That the reason more people might die
Is the businessman in his suit and tie?

Donald Keyman