A Mixed Bag Of Verse # 2

I AM A LOVER OF PUCCINI

I am a lover of Puccini
And his music is so powerful
That the meaning of the words
Are almost immaterial

WE ALL NEED A PLACE TO BE ALONE

We all need a place to be alone
Somewhere to find serenity
A place for some “me” time
It could be in the mountains
Or down beside the sea
Or even sitting in the garden
Enjoying a cup of tea

IT ISN’T AU REVOIR

It isn’t au revoir
It’s not auf wiedersehen
Nor is it arrivederci
You will not appear again
Dignitas is simply
Goodbye to pain

THE GIRL IN THE PEONY RED

I noticed her immediately
As I entered the bar
The girl in the Peony red
And playing about her lips
There was an acquiescent smile
Which was aimed my way
But I didn’t return it
And let it pass me by
She wasn’t my type after all
I’m quite fussy that way
But I did cast a glance
In the general direction
Of the eager entourage of
Drooling men surrounding her
Feeding off her raw sexuality
And as I watched the mermaid
Surrounded by a pack of sharks
I realized that I had misread
The smile she sent my way
It wasn’t my company she sort
But my help she desired
She looked like a movie starlet
Cornered by the paparazzi
So I rescued the damsel
And since that day
We have been best friends

OUR FRIENDSHIP IS SO STRONG

Our friendship is so strong
It will never come apart,
Because the bonds of friendship
Come straight from the heart

IT PROVIDES FAR MORE PROBLEMS

It provides far more problems
Than any solutions it brings
For communism doesn't work
As people like to own things


PARLIAMENT ENACT THE LAWS

Parliament enact the Laws
To legislate our behaviour
Police officers patrol the streets
To enforce the law
Then the court system shows us
The error of our ways
Well that’s the theory anyway
Politicians call the tunes
And the police cherry pick
The laws that they enforce
And the crown prosecution service
Take only the cases they can win
Or that make them look good
And all three elements
Play to the media

SAMHAIN

Samhain, on November 1st
Is one of the four
Gaelic seasonal festivals
Samhain marks
The beginning of winter,
The End of the harvest season,
And the end of autumn
Celebrated with feasting,
Guising and mumming
And the lighting of bonfires

DRAGONS PERFORM AEROBATICS

Dragons perform aerobatics
In the azure sky
Griffons are asked to join in
But won’t even try
Dodo’s dance a perfect
Flightless jig
The bald eagle appears
Wearing a wig
Mermaids do aqua ballet
On a flat sea of glass
Unicorns canter through
Scented meadow grass
That’s the end of my
Nonsense I fear
If you want anymore
Try Edward Lear

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM

Happy birthday mum
See, we did remember
Because you are so dear
Just like every year

We will never forget
We just wish and wish
You were still here
Just like every year

So we wish you
A happy birthday
And wipe away a tear
Just like every year
Mary Evelyn Curtis 20/1/1921 – 29/3/1993

A Mixed Bag Of Verse # 1

BELTANE

Beltane, on May 1st
Is one of the four
Gaelic seasonal festivals
Beltane marks
The beginning of summer
And the end spring.
Celebrated with feasting,
The decorating of homes
With May flowers,
Visiting the holy wells
And the lighting of bonfires

MALEVOLENCE

It isn’t the Prophet,
Playing on their fears
Nor is it God whispering
Poison in their ears
It isn’t even the cowardly
Old men with bitter breath
That pollute young minds
To be bringers of death
It’s a more ancient evil
Spreading hatreds spoors
That turn young souls
Into satanic warriors

MY SHADOW WATCHES ME AS I WORK

My shadow watches me as I work
And I am thankful for its easy company
Because it means I’m in the sunshine
And it is a constant reminder to me

ON HER CHARIOT DRAWN BY GRIFFINS

On her chariot drawn by griffins
The maiden goddess, dispensing justice
With rod, scales, sword and scourge
The avenger of crime, Nemesis

SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR WISDOM

Share your knowledge and your wisdom
While you’re here because in reality
Short of committing mass murder
It's the only way to achieve an immortality

THERE WAS SOMETHING REMARKABLE

There was something remarkable
A special quality beyond belief
Something dangerous and daring
With the dark-haired slip of mischief

LUGHNASADH

Lughnasadh, on August 1st
Is one of the four
Gaelic seasonal festivals
Lughnasadh marks
The beginning of autumn,
The harvest season,
And the end summer
Celebrated with feasting,
Fairs and athletic contests
And the offering of First Fruits

IF LIFE IS GETTING YOU DOWN

If life is getting you down
And depressing you increasingly
Take all of your troubles
And toss them into the sea,
You don’t have to do it for real
Just do it metaphorically
But a trip to the beach
Will help you miraculously

OLD

Old man’s withered fingers,
On a gnarled arthritic hand,
Grip the knotted handle
Of his twisted wooden cane
And in his leathered face
Is etched deep the pain
Of a life lived long
And his aged countenance
Each wrinkle tells the tale

CLASSICAL MUSIC MOVES ME

Classical music moves me
I’ve loved it from an early age
And although I can’t comprehend
The dots on the page
The music that they reveal
Is understood in any language

Walking With the Living God # 1

WE GIVE OUR PRAISE WITHOUT CONDITION

We give our praise without condition
Given freely to the Lord on high
We sing it to the highest heaven
Our hands held reaching to the sky

THE FATHER IS WITH US EVERY MOMENT

The father is with us every moment
Of every hour both day and night
Over every continent and island
He keeps us in His wondrous light

PATRON SAINT OF WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL

Anglo-Saxon St Swithun
Was Bishop of Winchester
From his consecration
Until his death.
A century later
Dunstan and Æthelwold
Adopted him as patron
Of the restored church
Of Winchester
His body was transferred
From almost complete obscurity
To Æthelwold's new basilica
After which his posthumous miracles occurred
The Winchester egg-woman
And Queen Emma's ordeal

Feast Day 15th July

ST SWITHUN'S DAY

If it rains on the Day of St Swithun
It will not stop for forty days
If it is dry on the Day of St Swithun
Then follows fair for forty days

IF THE WEATHER IS FARE

If the weather is fare
On St Swithun’s day
Then for forty days
You should make hay

LOVE OF GOD

Our God above loves us
So we worship and adore him
His love sustains us all

SENT FROM ON HIGH

Sent from on high
So heavenly demure
A soul of purest light
An angel so pure
To take your hand
When it’s time
And comfort you
On you heavenly climb

A HEART OF PERFECT LOVE

A heart of perfect love
Love being the leaven
To help you Ascend
To the highest Heaven

IF ON ST SWITHUN’S DAY

If on St Swithun’s day
It does heartily rain
Go home and for forty days
Don’t come out again

IN HYMNS AND PSALMS REJOICING

In hymns and psalms rejoicing
We praise our Lord on high
Our praise to heaven ascended
And we lift our voices to the sky

VOICES IN PRAYER ARE NEVER SILENT

Voices in prayer are never silent
As we pray to our Lord on high
Our prayers to heaven ascended
And we lift our eyes to the sky

THE SOURCE OF SPECIAL LOVE

God has always been
The source of special love
A perfect loving faith
That fits me like a glove

THERE IS A SIGN OF HOPE

Everything is not
Wrong in the world
There is a sign of hope
God is our inspiration
And our Guiding light

SUCKED INTO THE DARKNESS

Sucked into the darkness,
Plunged into the abyss
Life pronounced extinct
Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
Yet in the darkness
Stood a figure
With lily-white wings
Smiling in Silence
And led him to the light
To a life eternal

ST SWITHIN AND QUEEN EMMA'S ORDEAL

Before the Norman Conquests
Princess Emma of Normandy
Became Queen Emma of England
Wife to King Æthelred the Unready
And then to Canute the Great of Denmark
She was falsely accused of adultery
But the night before her ordeal by fire
As she slept in Wargrave uneasily
Saint Swithun appeared in a dream
To tell her she would be set free




ST MARTIN OF TOURS

Started out as a Roman soldier
But was baptized as an adult
And then became a monk
It is understood that he was a kind man
Who led a quiet and simple life
The most famous legend of his life,
Was when he was still a soldier,
It is the story about the time
That he cut his cloak in half
To share with a beggar
To protect him during a snowstorm,
Which saved the beggars life
That same night he dreamed that Jesus
Was wearing the half-cloak
Martin heard Jesus say to the angels,
"Here is Martin, the Roman soldier
Who is not baptised; he has clothed me"

THE FEAST OF ST MARTIN OF TOURS

St. Martin's Day,
Or the Feast of St. Martin,
Martinstag, Martinmas
Or Martin le Miséricordieux
The Feast of St Martin of Tours,
Is a time for feasting celebrations
On November the 11th
When the autumn wheat fields
Were sown for the following year
And the annual slaughter
Of well fattened cattle
To produce "Martinmas beef"
And it was also the time
When hiring fairs were held
Where farm unemployed labourer’s
Could find new work

Feast Day November 11th

ST SWITHIN AND THE WINCHESTER EGG WOMAN

An old lady's eggs had been smashed
On the new stone bridge by workmen
Swithin picked the broken eggs up and
They miraculously became whole again

Tales of Love # 20

IF I HAD ONLY KNOWN # 1

If I had only known
It would be the last time
I'd see you fall asleep
I would have stayed
A little longer and
Lingered at your bedside
Holding your hand
As you slipped
Silently away
To be at peace

AS STREAKS OF GOLD APPEAR IN THE WESTERN SKY

As streaks of gold appear in the western sky
I look into her hypnotic green eyes and sigh
With her in my arms and romance in my heart,
As the sunset glowed, I vowed we’d never part

THE SLIGHTEST TWINKLE

The slightest twinkle
Was evident
In her shining eyes
The hint of a smile
Played about her lips
And her mouth
Went up at the corners
Almost unperceptively
Her whole countenance
Held in that moment
On the brink
And as the words
Left my lips
The status quo
Was swept away
As the delight
Spread across her face
And my question
Was answered
In the affirmative

WHO’S STORY OF LOVE

Who’s story of love
Is written in the stars
Is it the Greeks of old?
Or could it be ours?

HER FATHER DRANK BLACK BITTER COFFEE

Her father drank black bitter coffee
Her mother sipped earl grey tea
As I stood before her parents
I was full of fear and anxiety

It was a very daunting experience
And it was not at all as I planned
I was there for a noble purpose
To ask for their daughters hand

As the object of my attentions
Sat demurely drinking her juice
Her father started choking
And mother turned strangely puce

We left the house hand in hand
Running head long from the pair
They had both forbad consent
But the lovers really didn’t care

So they went to the Savoy Hotel
And ordered chilled Chardonnay
which came in crystal goblets
Carried on a large silver tray

They sat in luxury surroundings
Until the bottle was empty
And their hearts were full of love
And their future was full of plenty

IF I HAD ONLY KNOWN # 2

If I had only known
It would be the last time
I would see you
Walk out the door
I would have
Called you back
And hugged and kissed
You even more

MY STRAWBERRY BLONDE

My strawberry blonde
Always topped my list
With Alabaster skin,
Apple blossom kissed
Smooth and silken soft
Just as I had wished
But that was long ago
Now she is sadly missed

WE HAVE LIVED OUR LIVES TOGETHER

We have lived our lives together
And we have reached our Novembers
The once burning fires of our lives
Have been reduced to meagre embers
And yet we can still look forward
To us both sharing our Decembers

I MISS YOU ALL THE TIME

I miss you all the time
You were my shining sun
And there is an emptiness
But when all said and done
There’s nothing lonelier
Than dinner for one

THE SUN AND MOON

The sun and moon
Where once in love
But the sun burned hot
With want and desire
While the moon
Was cool and aloof
So they were destined
To be Star-crossed
For all eternity

IF I HAD ONLY KNOWN # 3

If I had only known
It would be the last time
That I would ever see you
I would have stayed
A moment longer
And lingered at your bedside
As I said goodbye
And told you once again
How much I loved you

MESMERISING CHARMS

Mesmerising charms
Led me to her arms
A loving place
So why should I run?

Love in my heart
I want to share
But I hold back
And I want to run

Fear is the key,
A deep fear in me
Of being hurt
So I want to run

I need the key
To unlock the chains
That bind my heart
So I won’t run

I LOOK BACK FONDLY

I look back fondly
To those early days
When we would sit together
On the winter evenings
Beside the roaring fire
And we would sit and talk
Laughing and chatting
In the orange glow
Late into the evening
Until the embers cooled

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE

The grass is always greener
And the senses were keener
So I committed a misdemeanour

And when away she flew
To her green pastures new
My foolish heart was torn in two

True Nature # 6

THE SUFFOLK PUNCH

The Suffolk Punch
Heavy draught horse
Beautiful Chestnut beast
Solid and dependable
With energetic gait
Known as “good doers”
The Suffolk Punch
Work horse of the land

HEAVEN SENT APRIL SHOWERS

Heaven sent April showers
Will bring the May flowers
And after spring has begun
Soon comes the summer sun

SWEET MEMORIES OF OUR CHILDHOOD # 1

Sweet memories of our childhood
Those days of youth were the best
Golden Septembers in the fields
Gathering the bounty of the harvest

AS THE LENGTHENING DAYS WARM UP

As the lengthening days warm up
When the north is on the cusp
The ice begins to speak or sing
Heralding the arrival of spring

SWEET MEMORIES OF OUR CHILDHOOD # 2

Sweet memories of our childhood
Sunny days bright and pleasant
Cold crisp Novembers on the heath
Beating the bracken for the Pheasant

ON THE PLANTATION

On the plantation
Nothing can be finer
Than a bevy of Quail
In South Carolina

IN THE AUTUMN

In the Autumn
The shoot is very pleasant
And we end the day
With a bevy of pheasant

UP ON THE MOOR

Up on the Moor
The birds take flight
On the glorious 12th
They leave the hill
With a bevy of Grouse
The trappings of wealth

THE SUN BURSTS THROUGH THE CURTAINS

The sun bursts through the curtains
As dawn brings forth another day
And bids us waken from our rest
With every golden warming ray

THE SUFFOLK HORSE

The Suffolk Horse
Heavy draught horse
Beautiful Chestnut beast
Solid and dependable
With energetic gait
Known as “good doers”
The Suffolk Horse
Work horse of the land

IN SHADES OF RED AND ORANGE

In shades of red and orange
The sky burns with fire
Clouds in sunset are illuminated
Like smoke in a funeral pyre

BEYOND THE SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAINS

Beyond the snow-capped mountains
A brand new dawn breaks
Night moved onward into light
Across the land and the lakes

THEY CLIMB WITH STRENGTH AND GRACE

They climb with strength and grace
And ramble wide and free
They stand alone as Floribunda
Standard or Hybrid Tea
The glorious English rose
Beautiful flower of history

WHEN WINTERS BITE IS TAMED

When winters bite is tamed
Spring brings forth the shoots
Then summer scents the flowers
And the autumn earns the fruits

LET THE WIND HOWL

Let the wind howl
Let the tempest blow
Bring forth the rain
Bring forth the snow
Then let the frost bite
Let the ice crack
Then we can get
The winter sun back

THE SUFFOLK SORREL

The Suffolk Sorrel
Heavy draught horse
Beautiful Chestnut beast
Solid and dependable
With energetic gait
Known as “good doers”
The Suffolk Sorrel
Work horse of the land

A Little Bit Of Humour # 97

ARE YOU WEARING WINGS?

Are you wearing wings?
And what are those other things?
A stick? And scales of justice?
Oh crikey are you my Nemesis

ARE YOU WEARING A CROWN?

Are you wearing a crown?
Oh Charles please put it down
Wearing it doesn’t mean a thing
You know you will never be King

ARE YOU WEARING THE BOSS’S HAT?

Are you wearing the boss’s hat?
I laugh when you call me that
And based on what I spend on kebabs
Either on my own or with the lads
It all adds up to a fair amount of money
Calling me boss is too true to be funny

ARE YOU WEARING SENSIBLE FOOTWEAR?

Are you wearing Sensible Footwear?
They are a kind of stout boot
And with your skinny legs
I think you look rather cute

FAST FOOD DRIVE THROUGH’S

Fast food Drive through’s
I’m afraid, are a step too far
And I find them quite expensive
By the time you’ve hired a car

DON’T PICK UP HITCHHIKERS

“Don’t pick up hitchhikers”
I was told “don’t do it ever”
Unless of course it was you
Who actually ran them over

IT WAS DURING A CHESS GAME

It was during a Chess game
That I remember him saying
“Let’s make this more interesting”
So we agreed to stop playing

IT’S NOT REALLY ANY COMFORT

It’s not really any comfort
If someone dies while doing
Something that they loved
When they were doing Heroin

AFTER TEN YEARS OF MARRIAGE

After ten years of marriage
I am divorced by choice
Regrettably I have to say
That it wasn’t my choice

HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU HEARD IT SAID?

How often have you heard it said?
“I am taking it one day at a time”
Well no shit Sherlock don’t we all
That is after all the nature of time

THE MAN GOES ON TOP AND THE WOMAN UNDERNEATH

“The man goes on top and the woman underneath”
That was my sex education as my mother said
So as we were very naïve back then, so for the first
Three years of marriage we slept in bunk beds

WHAT IS THE POINT FOR WOMAN

What is the point for woman of a certain age
Wearing a see through negligee
When all the men of her acquaintance aren’t able
To see through it anyway

I’M DATING A SKINNY PAIR OF TWINS

I’m dating a pair of skinny twins
They’re little more than skin and bone
And they are anorexic, it’s rather like
A case of two birds and one stone

A Little Bit Of Humour # 96

ARE YOU WEARING ERMINE?

Are you wearing Ermine?
Oh Charles put the robe down
Wearing it doesn’t mean a thing
You will never wear the crown

21st CENTURY NURSERY RHYMES # 351

One, two, buckle my shoe
Three, four, open the door
Five, six, cocktail sticks
Seven, eight, in a bit of a state
Nine, ten, pissed again

ARE YOU WEARING A TUXEDO?

Are you wearing a tuxedo?
It’s so loud it makes a racket
No James Bond doesn’t wear one
He wears a proper dinner jacket

21st CENTURY NURSERY RHYMES # 347

Georgie Porgie, Puddin' and Pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Until the day that it came to be
He was investigate by Yew Tee

ARE YOU WEARING CONVERSE?

Are you wearing Converse?
Footwear for casual strolls
You know when I was a boy
They were called plimsolls

21st CENTURY NURSERY RHYMES # 350

On top of Old Smoky,
All covered with snow
The great sleeping giant
Was ready to blow

ARE YOU WEARING AN ALICE BAND?

Are you wearing an Alice band?
Oh how perfectly droll
For a freaky looking bloke
Do you go down the rabbit hole?

21st CENTURY NURSERY RHYMES # 348

Girls and boys, come out to play
The moon doth shine as bright as day
They drink whatever is plentiful and cheap
And end up legless in the street

ARE YOU WEARING BRAZILIANS?

Are you wearing Brazilians?
It’s very bold of you to mention
Oh they’re some kind of knickers
I clearly wasn’t paying attention
I must admit my mind wandered
When I heard you say Brazilian

21st CENTURY NURSERY RHYMES # 349

Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating of curds and whey;
And if you ever wondered
What a tuffet is
You’ll find them on Ebay