Poems from the soul

11/03/2024

Well I was born in 63,
So a lesson to the young from me.
If God wanted to give you a bloody false tan,
You would have been born with a large spray can!
If you think you need lips the size of your bum, and think they look good, well sadly your wrong.
You look like an inflated balloon gone badly wrong.
Your eyebrows look like a glued on moustache.
Now when did God give you that?
Your make-up takes 2 hours to do.
Then you look like you've been tangoed, yes this is true!
Then you take a selfie, and filter it through, you look so flawless it cannot be true.
Imagine your fella when your make up is gone, he'll think you're a stranger 🤔 ' now where's my girl gone?
I was born in 63
When you look you see the real me!
Not layers, and fillers, or tangoing tan.
I may be ageing, with a wrinkle or too.
But I am me born in 63!

06/02/2024

Always with you

You held me close
You cried tears of sadness,
I felt each warm drop upon my cold face.
You said goodbye, in that moment.
But it was only momentary, my love.
For though, you cannot see me,
I am with you.
I am the breeze that kisses you lightly.
The perfume, with the fragrance of summer's past.
I am the leaf that flutters from the autumn tree,
I'm the blackbird who sings the joys of spring.
The soft cosy blanket that you hug so tight.
My love, I am always near,
Just think my name and I will be there.
You mourn my passing each and every day.
But I am with you, always near ❤️
Until we are together again.

04/02/2024

Leaden skies,
Tumultuous clouds, gathering speed upon the wiley winter wind.
The drizzle dampens the day, yet again!
The Jackdaws sit in the leafless birch tree.
Swaying to and fro.
Claws gripping the scrawny branches.
This is winter my friends.
Yet, yesterday was such a beauty.
The skies were blue, a whisper of cloud flitted by on the breeze.
Yes, the day was cold,
I didn't mind.
I just felt I could smile as the sun shone.
I noticed people more that day,
They were wrapped up snuggly,
They looked cheerful,
A little sunshine can heal the soul.
As the days lengthen,
We march towards springtime.
Bring me the brightness and joy that it brings.
Flowers dancing on the verges.
Birdsong in the echoes of valley.
Lambs frolicking upon the green grass.
It will come,
My patience is struggling to get me through the dank, dreary days.
But it will arrive.
This my friends makes me smile
😁🌾🌻💛🧡🩷

16/01/2024

The snow fell through the night.
I could sense it was there.
The silence, the muted noise of traffic.
I opened the curtains.
Flakes were falling,
Spiralling on their journey to the icy cold tarmac.
The Jackdaws, perched high in the silver birch tree.
Cranking their heads as the snow fell from the branches.
The wind flailing the spindly branches to and fro.
Children wrapped up warm.
Hats bobbling, gloves and mittens on cold hands.
Laughing as they climb the slippery hill to get to school.
Memories fill me with the warmth of times long ago.
Sledging, sn*******ng.
Getting home and fingers and toes frozen.
They burned as the warmth began to reach the ends of each finger and toe.
Mum always popped newspapers across the floor,
So we didn't tramp the wet into the house.
She would make us a nice hot cup of tea,
We would warm our hands on the mug, blowing the steam til it warmed our noses.
Hats, coats, gloves, wellies strewn around the house,
Drying out!!
The snow was always so deep back then.
As it thawed, their would be a rumble as huge blocks slipped off the roof.
Back to now, and the snow still falls.
Gently reminding me of such Happy days many moons ago.

19/12/2023

An angel stood beside my bed,
As I lay down my weary head.
I felt her glow upon my face,
Her warmth held me in a gold embrace.
And in that moment,
I felt such utter peace.
Not a fear inside,
No trembling anxiety,
No thoughts of dread.
Just me laying down with a peaceful head.

And with this overwhelming joy
I prayed,
That everyone should feel such peace.
As they lay down their heads to sleep.
No fears of war,
Of loss, of hunger, of deprivation.

Just a moment in time to pause
To rethink, to smile.
To be peaceful.

07/11/2023

On Flanders Field

Upon the bloodied flanders ground.
Where death is littered all around,
The sunlight awakens the depths of hell.
Bodies lay down where they fell.
Forlorn upon the soil they sleep,
Whilst those around openly weep.
Of comrades, friends, the sorrow deep.
Lives lost, no time to grow.
Nor live the life they should always know.
Here upon this ground they sleep.

Now time has passed, lest we forget
The heroes slain, to their ultimate death.
Upon flanders fields, the poppies grow
Blood red flowers, row on row.
Upon armistice day we shall respect
Those who saved us by their death.

01/11/2023

Life
We were all placed upon the earth to survive.
To learn, to grow, to challenge ourselves.
To aim high, to reach to the sky.
We struggle, or we prosper.
We are north or we are south.
We are black, we are white we are many colours.
We are all in this together, we are one.

There are wars, great sadness and destruction.
We watch on the news, but we are not in that moment.
We cannot surely perceive the horror laid bare before us, as we sit eating our tea!

The Lord sets us down upon the earth.
We cry at birth, perhaps we have been here before.
Perhaps we already know that for most of us life gets tough.
We will work our way through many dilemmas, many ups and downs.

We form families, so precious.
Our children and their children,
Lives brought together through love.
They make us proud.
They are what makes our hearts beat.
They are our life.

Give thanks that we are in this together

24/10/2023

I miss you

Can you see the rainbow
From heaven where you stand?
This arch of vibrant colour
Stretched out across the land.

I am sure that from heaven
You sent this gift for me.
To ease me of my troubled mind
That I know that you must see.

You laid it out across the sky
So it almost touched my door.
It brought to me great comfort
Like I never felt before.

Look down on me from your seat up high
And know I miss your smile
You are in my thoughts for ever
Over the billions of miles.

03/10/2023

Memory bag

Amongst the plastic wrappings,
memories blow my mind.
I sit now upon my bed,
Fixated on every old card,
faded photo and letter.
Laughter from faces, long gone.
I lament their passing, I miss them all.

A postcard from Blackpool,
Dad loved it there so much.

A poem in a birthday card,
Mum always added one,
Often a witty reprimand,
As I tried to grow up too quickly.

A card from grandma,
Signed, with all my love 💓

The Woollies photo booth pics,
The 1970's selfie,
With friends, squashed in the tiny booth.
Laughing and trying to look pretty.

An autograph book,
'By hook or by crook I'll be last in this book'
Written memories from long long ago.

My friends
I am older, and wiser,
I hold the lines of life upon my face.

This body bore children,
They make me proud .

But to be young again,
To dare to dream,
Laughter and fun,
Boundless energy.

I have so many memories,
Here in my bag for life.
To cherish forever.

27/09/2023

I lay upon my bed,
With a million thoughts
A culmination of the day past.
Some are ugly, they make me frown,
Here in the darkness.
Fretting and reccuring they are like looking into the abyss.
A day seems to pass quickly,
Though the memories are etched deep in the mind,
It plays them over again,
Like a stylus that's caught in the groove of an old time record.
There are highlights of happiness,
That little chat with family and friends.
The laughter at some random mishap!

Then there are the anxious thoughts of tomorrow.
Will I feel well enough to tackle the chores?
What if, comes in to the frame.
It fills you with dread.
I hope for a sunny day to ease my darkness.
The sunshine eases the woes, its an overwhelming joy amongst the darkness.

As I lay here on my bed, covers curled around me,
Like a comfort blanket.
I begin to fall asleep,
Thoughts all rewound.
Until tomorrow night.

19/09/2023

Then it came,
Abundant leaves upon the trees,
Thrashed like a whippet chasing his tail!
The silver birch bent low, as if taking a bow.
The wind raged, the skies greyed,
Tumultuous amounts of rain poured down.

Below my sodden feet
The reminants of summer strewn down.
Puddles reflecting the dowdiness of this dingy day.

Children race frantically,
The wind, works magic and they are dizzy and excited.

There's a chill that creeps from the cellar.
A draughty window leaks the cold and damp.

Oh joy! Not. As I begrudgingly light the fire,
The smart meter rejoicing in my failure.

So the summer we never had is laid to rest,
RIP.

Welcome Autumn?
Nope, roll on summer I missed your magic.
Until next year 🤞

09/08/2023

Castle Hill

She stands upon the ancient hill.
Her watchful eyes, look out upon the town.
She is the constant, the heartstring puller.

She welcomes travellers,
As they tread wearily, from journeys far and wide.
Once sighted from afar, they know they are home.
She is always ready and waiting high above the town .

She is our joy, our pride, upon the ancient hill.
She is a jubillee dame,
With the name of a queen.
Our Victoria!
Our Castle, our beauty on the hill.

So if you should come to our fair town.
From North, East, South or West.
Look upon your horizon
For you will see, she beckons from afar,
For everyone to see.

31/07/2023

Woop

28/07/2023

Can you spot that bright globe,
It's up there in the sky.
I cannot seem to spy it,
Through the gloomy clouds and misel.

Two weeks of barmy summer,
Nope, we don't count for that!
Just reams of bubbling, moodiness,
To dampen our summer days.

It rained all week, last week too,
My garden plants look bleugh, like
Autumn time is near.
They dangle gangly and leggy,
Climbing out their pots.
Flowers no longer joyful just look about to rot.

Welcome to global warming,
For our planets in dispair.
There's lots of heat and lots of floods.
But you never know just where.

I want to see some sunshine to chase the blues away.
Just enough to fill a cup,
To help me smile today

13/06/2023

Summer in England

In the morning he sings.
All is well.
Perched again on his favourite perch in the old silver birch,
serenading the world
This blackbird is summer personified.

Cloudless skies, a beautiful vista.
England in summer, such a beauty.
Sounds all around rejoicing.
The church bells chime each sun soaked hour, as if celebrating summer.

The lawns are groomed.
The air is sweet.
Cornflowers sways upon the warm breeze.
Bumblebees, hurry upon each petal,
Foraging the nectar.
What joy a little sunlight brings.

Make the most of this my friend,
for like me you will bemoan the autumn skies and chill.
Something to pass the time of day.

05/06/2023

Late Spring

The warmth of the sun beckons me outdoors,
Amongst the greenery of my planters
I sit upon the faded garden chair.
It has been my friend for many summer's past.
I close my eyes and treasure this gold.

Upon the horizon the lushness of the late spring carpets the view.
The patchwork fields resplendent.
The farmers are busy making hay,
Marking the fields with their machines.

Here in my little yard I listen in quiet contemplation,
for so sweet is Blackbirds song,
it fills me with joy.
He sits high in the old silver birch,
Merrily regailing us with his tunes.

Ah, the joy of the spring,
Just to sit and meditate,
And just listen, smell and smile.

20/04/2023

When loved ones pass to heaven
We mourn them every day.

On waking to the sunlight that spreads its joyous light,
On laying down our weary heads with the darkness of the night.

As if you know we miss you,
We feel your presence near.
It's the music on the radio,
The breeze that passes by.
The lingering smell of perfume.
The feathers that flutter by.

You are gone but yet you're here,
You comfort my pain.
I even think about you when it's pouring down with rain.

Though I am not the person now that I was when you were here.
I hope that you still love me
and that you hold me dear.

I love you more than riches,
I only pray you know.
Until we meet again my heart for you will grow.

11/04/2023

I have reached 700 followers! Thank you for your continued support. I could not have done it without each of you. 🙏🤗🎉

07/01/2023

January

Oh the dread of January.
It's the depression after the party.
It's the sluggish, weary eyed month.

The weather is grim
I look out and the wind is howling
The rain is pouring
And that drip from the guttering goes splat!

I eagerly look for a holiday
Then the prices fill me with dread!
I need to have something to look forward to
To get me through this dreary month.

The papers and media are full of diets,
Exercises and diets!
Nope not for me, I know that anything started in January will fail.

I need comfort foods,
A nice shortbread biscuit,
A walnut whip,
Anything sweet!
Lord I hate this drab dreary month.
Roll on February, nice and short and a month nearer to spring, and on the good side my stars will align with Venus and
I will find fortune at a blue door! Really?

Spring will be welcomed with open arms.
Spring lambs and Easter Eggs.
Leafy trees and daffodils.
Oh the joy of imagining.

Roll on spring.

08/12/2022

Crisp ice laced the rooftops this morning
A welcome reprieve from the low mist and drizzle that has blighted the few daylight hours.
Late autumn sunshine floods into my world, raising a smile to my usually toneless features.
The silver birch, now leafless, looks magnificent.
Resplendent standing tall, almost shimmering in the glorious light.
The unknown tree in a neighbours garden gently flutters its now golden leaves falling gently in the cold breeze.
The Jackdaws take their usual stance, looking rather smart as they pluck at their feathers,
Perhaps proud that they have shelter in the eves of a neighbours roof!
Endless blue skies, but for the flitting birds and aeroplanes.
Entice me with their tom foolery.
For it could be summer, but for the Nitherly northerly.
Still Wouldn't it be lovely to step outside into the light. to feel the cool breeze upon my cheeks.
Furry boots, warm quilted coat, bobble hat and gloves at the ready.
For I will taste the season.
And take pleasure from the mindfulness of nature.

15/11/2022

Changes

The sounds of summer
Are now a distant echo
The sounds I had craved, since the dark of winter.
Gone on the breath of the autumn wind.

I reminice now,
Sitting in the warmth of my home,
The fire warming my toes.
I remember how I smiled, sitting in my garden on the first real day of that summer past.

I was in awe at the song of the blackbird,
Sitting upon a neighbours chimney,
His song was one of joy, as though he knew that winter was past.
His tuneful melody, made me smile with pride at the wonder of nature.

I could hear the echoed voices of children at play, their laughter filling the air.
The familiar buzz of the bumble bee, visiting the honey suckle, just about blooming now, and filling my nostrils with its heady scent.
in the distance the humming of a motor,
Back in gear after a winter in the shed, mowing the now lush tall grass in my neighbours garden.
Again the summer scent of freshly cut grass filled my nostrils, heaven!
I gazed ahead from my garden chair,
Upon the distant hillside the cattle grazing happily upon the new grass,
The sky a vastness of blue.
I traced the trail lines from the aeroplanes,
Criss crossing my view like a game of noughts and crosses.
I was filled with such happiness,
My world felt good.

Now I am sat viewing the world from my window.
Autumn is upon us with a speed like no other.
The leaves once so lush and green,
Now an array of hues, some gold others brown, now laid upon the ground, like a carpet of colour.
The trees look sad, lifeless and drab.
For they know that upon the autumn wind,
Winter beckons.
Dark days, curtains drawn, heat on, snuggled on the sofa with a mug of hot tea.
Roll on summer I miss you already,
Until next year.....

31/10/2022

24/10/2022

What a car crash is number 10,
The seat of our government, women and men.
Here they decide crucial things,
Like who is in the raffle for the next PM!
They are mostly from Public schools,
Where evidently they break the rules.
They are boorish and such a tarnished lot.
And it's clear to me they've lost the plot.
Tax is up tax is down,
The Stirling similarly goes round and round.
While ordinary folk struggle at home,
They dare not put heat on to warm their bones!
As inflation borders at 10 %
Mortgages soar and so does the rent.
A meagre meal at Aldi costs more than an arm and a leg.
The conservatives are home in their snuggly beds!
Their gated mansions, their grouse for tea.
The cleaner comes to clean for them every week.
They are really not street cred, though they try to be.
They don't know a struggle from a bleeding flea!
They heckle like babies,
They really are prats!
Next Prime minister watch your back.

05/10/2022

Issues

Loneliness is sitting in a crowded place,
Yet still feeling isolation.
It's the need to be alone, even though you crave company.

Anxiety Is avoiding things that once were pleasurable.
Though you said to that friend ' meet you there' then staying home.
It's the difficulty in explaining yourself to those who just don't understand.

Depression is the black dog that stops you seeing the sunshine behind the clouds.
Everything is hopeless, you are hopeless.

OCD is checking and checking and checking again.
It's the fear of stepping out of that routine.
It bleeds you dry with its time sucking sap

Bipolar is the highest high with laughter and over the top idiocy.
It's the complete downer that's grips you and makes you irrational.

Remember this mental health awareness week. Not everyone you meet in the street, or at work are what they seem. A mask can hide a million things.
Be kind ❤️

04/10/2022

An avalanche of colour
Lay upon the ground
In the blink of an eye autumn arrived.
The trees swayed to and fro as they
Danced to the rhythm of the wind.
Coolness filled the air.
Though blue skies prevailed,
A chill replaced the warmth of August past.

Coats replaced the tee shirts
Wooly hats placed on heads.
Everyone carried on their day as if they hadn't seen the fall.

I ventured out and then I found it
The treasure of autumn.
Round and brown, spilled from its spiked shell.
Like mahogany it's colour and shine was to me irresistible.
Like the child, I picked it up.
This simple little conker made me smile.
My memory aroused.
How I always went home with pockets filled to the brim.
They fascinated me then as they still do now.

I put the conker in my pocket.
I carried on my way, eyes searching out more.
How bountiful this season is
As the trees prepare to sleep til spring,
Their beaty is laid before us.

16/09/2022

Upon the dawn they stood.
Heads bowed low.
For they were the chosen.

Our Majesty lay in state.

Upon the regal plinth.
Her coffin laid down.
Bedecked majestically.

Her regal colours, for the world to see.
The Royal standard draped so perfectly
As befitting our wonderful Queen Elizabeth.

Her Crown, perched upon its regal cushion.
Its diamonds sparkling into life at the glimpse of light.

The guards stood, solemnly.
Heads bowed low,
Swords reversed.
Their loyalty unbowed.

Then came the people.
In the silence of mourning
Respectfully they stood,
But for a breath.
Bowing their heads.

In this moment they understood
The reverence of the moment.

For before them,
She lay.
Seventy years our wonderful monarch
Reigned.
Through the worst of times, she was our reassurance.

Now in death
They remember her.

God save our Queen
May the good lord
Look upon her with awe.

09/09/2022

God Bless The Queen

The Commonwealth mourns the loss of our Queen.
Our majestic majesty,
Our strength when times were hard.
She whose reign supassed all who came before.

As the light went out for her,
A rainbow brightened a stormy sky..
As though heaven was sending us a sign.

Perhaps the gates of heaven were applauding our Queen,
As she strode through the gates,
Her smile infectious, her warmth welcomed.

We mourn her.
Her intelligence, her wit,
her passion for her Kingdom
clear for all to see.

May she be met in heaven with trumpets,
God bless the Queen.
May she rest in peace.

03/09/2022

A bit of drawing and poetry for you

02/09/2022

Etched across the fading blue skies,
The watery hues of autumn.
The vista changing

Tears shed as summer fades.
As the once vibrant jade leaves
hang limply to their branches,
Curled at the edges, as if regressing into themselves..
I feel their sadness.

My once vibrant flowers,
Scraggy and lurching from their pots.
Petunias seem to age overnight,
Faded and straggling.
Their trumpets wizened,
they were once triumphant
Not now...

I mourne summer's end,
Tears well up as I fear the months ahead.
I hate the darkness that is to follow the glory of light.

As I view the landscape from my window,
I soak in the last rays of sun,
breathing in the warmth.
Grabbing all that I can,
Before the curtains are drawn on summer.