Competition Winner - June 2012Dragon Rising - Ian Duquemin

Tattoo etched upon the skin
Ruby red, needle in
Turquoise features, black outline
Sacred image, lines so fine
Golden ink begins to shine
The dragon on this arm of mine
Comes alive amidst the pain
Playing tricks within my brain
The dragon rises ever higher
Like a phoenix from the fire
Coloured ink imbedded deep
Forever mine to keep

Ian Duquemin

Lonely Me? - Tony Robert

6.45 alarm rings in my head,
Time to get my arse out of bed.
There’s a brand new day to start,
But do I really have the heart?

And so another day begins,
Somebody loses, somebody wins.
Me? I’ll be happy to just break even
Seems I arrive as lady luck’s leaving.

Paint on my smile, forget the pain,
Maybe today I’ll find love again.
Kid myself that I don’t care,
When all I want is a love to share.

Laugh and joke, I’m everyone’s mate,
Try to pretend that I’m doing great.
But deep down inside my heart,
I feel I’m slowly falling apart.

“Keep your chin up” I hear myself say,
Cheering up others throughout the day.
But I know when I’m home and close the door,
I’m all alone just like before.

And so I drag myself to bed,
A hundred thoughts in my head.
I’ve so many friends so how can it be?
That I always end up lonely me

Tony Robert

Mackerel - Jenny Hamon

Image Source: Jenny Hamon

Mackerel - Jenny Hamon

Going back a few decades
There’s a tale I remember told
About a Guernsey fisherman
Selling his catch by the side of the road.

Since 4 a.m. he’d been fishing
In his boat just off the south coast.
Catching mackerel with his feathers.
(In fine weather he catches the most.)

Now the story I’m telling happened
At Portinfer, They heard his cry
Mackerel, fresh mackerel, caught today
Sixpence each, please come and buy.

One man in the queue spoke in Patois
To his friend as they stood side by side
They don’t look very fresh to me
Don’t think they were caught on this tide.

Now Barry spoke Patois all his life
And heard what they had said
So he spoke to them both in his mother tongue
“I was fishing while you were in bed!”

The men looked very embarrassed,
And felt sorry they put him down
So each of them bought 2 of the fish,
And handed over half a crown.

Jenny Hamon

Patois is the Guernsey French language spoken in Guernsey. It is diminishing in use these days although steps are being taken to keep it alive.

About Art - Kathy Figueroa

Art is a language with which we communicate
Comprised of lines both straight and broken
Of colours, hues and shades
A language where not a word is spoken

So much can be conveyed
By a scene, or enigmatic look
A painting can be like an essay
A gallery, like a book

Artists speak this language
Where words need not be said
A work of art is a story
Just waiting to be read

Kathy Figueroa

The Shed - Jenny Hamon

There’s a shed at the end of the garden
That’s my husband’s pride and joy
It’s not very nice to look at
But is used for many a ploy

I thought I’d compare it to a tardis
But it’s not particularly small
So maybe more like Aladdins cave
I think that’s a better call!

It contains everything you can imagine
To make many creations from scratch
Anything you want made or mended
-Well he’s your man, (I know he’s a catch!)

If you want a particular tool
Or a thingamy that’s way out of date
He will delve under the bench
And whatever it is, he’ll locate.

There are areas for metal and wood
And also for beer and for paint
Although it looks a complete utter mess
A jumble sale is what it ‘aint

I loose him for many an hour
Or sometimes for the whole of a day
If there was room to install a bed
I’m sure he would move in and stay.

So if you’ve anything you want fixing
He’s happy to have a go
Or if you need something inventing
He’ll have a try, He’ll never say no.

So I don’t complain about the shed
Or the hours he spends beavering away.
Cos apart from the noise I’m left in peace
And know where he is at the end of the day

Jenny Hamon