Yearly Archives: 2015

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A Fairy’s Warning

by Bridh Hancock
A response to William Allingham’s ‘The Fairies’

 

On the misty mountain, in the gloomy glen,

You dare not go a rambling for fear of ‘little men’,

‘Cause we are bad folk, mad folk. Avoid us all together,

In green cape and red cap and with a purple peregrine’s feather.

 

Near the rocky sea shore some of us make our abode.

We live on sweet, fresh sea-food cooked on the high tide’s load.

Some live among the reed beds of a chilly mountain lake,

With a hundred noisy watch-frogs; and oh what rest they take!

 

Humans say we steal their young; ha! We have kids of our own.

What’s the point of having yet more troubles in our home?

We wish humans all were happy, and knew how to behave,

‘Cause if they all were as us, then our world would be safe.

Along the craggy hill-side where mosses all lie bare,

We have planted gorse-bush to keep humans out of there.

If any man so daring should dig them up in spite,

He shall find far sharper thorns in his bed that night.

 

On the misty mountain, in the gloomy glen,

You dare not go a rambling for fear of ‘little men’,

‘Cause we are bad folk, mad folk, and our women are far worse.

Should you but cross them, then we shall hear you curse.

 

(Let William Allingham apologise to us.)

 

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Forty Four Gallon Drum

by Virginia Lowe

 

Clang!

The cricket ball

hits the make-shift wicket

The shout arises

Out!

The kids leap about

except the batsman

who hands on the bat

to the next street kid

female this time

 

Blackberry canes

pour over the edge

The juicy purple fruit

within reach

without prickles

 

Post cards and fliers

junk mail and love letters

magazines and bills

all drop in

Even an isolated

farm in the country

can’t escape

the tyranny of

the mail

 

In times past

forty-four gallon drums

rusted

in continuing utility

* Submitted in response to Words+Pictures #4

_MG_0194

TIME

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A Goat Afloat

by Pat Simmons

 

I wear a silver collar, I’m a rather special goat.

Hooves firmly planted on the ground, but once I was afloat.

 

‘A goat afloat?’ I hear you say. It’s true. Ask Captain Cook.

Twice I’ve sailed around the world.

I’d like to write a book

Called

Memoirs of my life at sea

Jottings by a goat

The good the bad the ugly facts

Of life upon a boat

 

Well, all right, ships

Let’s get it right

Named

Dolphin and Endeavour

And with respect, I must say this,

I really hope I never set hoof again on either one.

Three years was long enough.

Giving milk for all that time quite frankly dears was tough.

 

Smelly sheep and smelly hens, smelly cattle too

Smelly cats and smelly dogs

And very smelly crew.

Snow and storms and slippery decks, fresh grass in short supply.

No other goats to chatter with to help the time pass by.

But now I’m home and quite well known

(My story’s in the press)

Enjoying my retirement, free from stormy seas and stress.

 

I wear a silver collar, I’m a rather special goat.

Hooves firmly planted on the ground, but once I was afloat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Come and see the dinosaurs

by Bill Condon

 

Come and see the dinosaurs

dancing in the street,

with bows upon their shiny claws

and glitter on their feet.

 

A little liposuction,

lippy here and there,

with plaited tails and painted toes

and roses in their hair.

 

Dripping with perfumery

and skipping to and fro,

a dozen dainty dinosaurs

putting on a show.

 

They’ve visited the beauty shop –

a rare and lovely treat –

and now they’re happy dinosaurs,

dancing in the street!

 

 

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Hard Times

by Melanie Hill

 

I’m a rock.

Just a rock.

A sedentary rock.

 

I was warm until

blasting wind

left me with no cover.

 

I’m a rock.

 

I was dry until

eroding rivers

submerged my craggy face.

 

Just a rock.

 

I had friends until
they crumbled
and relocated to the beach.

 

A sedentary rock.

 

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Carefree

by Virginia Lowe

 

They found a cave one summer

on the beach front

A yew tree flourished above

held by roots

clutching the walls

Underneath was dark and cool

 

Secluded and safe

no one knew they were there

They stored drinks

a rug to sit on

Over weeks

they played pirates

treasure hidden on a root-shelf

at the back.

 

The creaks and groans

only added to the atmosphere

until the Sunday

of a summer storm

when they sheltered there

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My dog Jazzy

by Gabrielle Bryden

 

Best friends can be short or tall
bright or quiet

booky or sporty
anything at all,
mine just happens to be
a goofy, woolly, poodly, woodly
labradoodley type beastie
with a coat of gold,
soft as marshmallows.
Pinkest tongue, cool wet nose
that reminds me when
a hug is due,
boofy head that rests on my legs
like I’m the best pillow
ever,
following me

from room to room,
my loyal shadow, liquid eyes
of chocolate brown,
forever sad
even when eating,
but a shaggy, waggy tail
reveals a heart filled with happy
jazzy, fizzy stuff
that bubbles all around me,
tickling me with

love.

 

 

 

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Raising parents

by Jenny Erlanger

 

I’ve told them dinner must be served

at six o’clock each night.

How hard is that, I ask, to understand?

I’ve told them when my friends come round

to stay right out of sight,

another very practical command.

I’ve told my dad to clear away

the mess inside the shed

and Mum to tidy up the pantry shelves.

It seems they haven’t listened

to a single word I’ve said.

They’re clearly much too focused on themselves.

It’s time they learned that I’m the boss,

that I make all the rules,

that life was always meant to be that way.

They’re proving hard to educate,

this stubborn pair of fools.

I’ve yet to give an order they’ll obey!

 

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History through the ages

by Charlotte Riley

 

History is like going into another world

Where legends of kings are unfurled

So travel with me

Through the French Dynasty

Where we shall meet the short man Napoleon

Nah let’s go to a Mongolian

Place where Genghis Khan resides

With his army under tented hides

Then we shall go see Billy the Kid

And right after that we shall get rid

Of that English monster Jack the Ripper

And kill him with a kipper

Now let’s go see Abraham Lincoln

Who is quite surely thinkin’

How to abolish slavery

I admire him for his bravery

Oh and look over there it’s Elizabeth the first

Boy she really looks like she’s going to burst

After eating all that luxurious food

Oh my she just burped, how very rude

Now we shall go visit Henry Third

My oh my, he’s such a nerd

Quickly let’s go and see Julius Caesar

Who is really quite the crowd pleaser

And Leonardo Da Vinci is painting the Mona Lisa

Let us watch him and eat some pizza

So now we should go see famous Socrates

Boy, I think he should watch more comedies

Alas, now our journey has come to an end

Hopefully I will get to see you ‘round the bend

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Terrible deep the horrible snow

A Hedgehog Song

by Doug McLeod

 

 

Terrible deep the snow is

Deeper than ever we saw

Nestled together we pray for warm weather,

Waiting for winter to thaw.

Were I a swallow I’d happily follow

All of my friends as they fly

Off in formations to southern locations

Delightfully sunny and dry.

 

Here in the forest it’s twenty below,

Shivery blizzards persistently blow

Making you freeze from your top to your toe.

Terrible deep, the horrible snow

 

Terrible deep the snow is,

Wish I could sleep like a log.

Snoozing and snoring, while possibly boring,

Is better than flurries and fog.

Happily dreaming till sunlight starts gleaming

I wouldn’t wake up till the spring –

I envy them dearly, who hibernate yearly –

For winter’s a terrible thing.

 

Summer is fast but the winter is slow

Icicles form and the rivers won’t flow,

Birds by the million left ages ago

Terrible deep, the horrible snow.

 

Longer and colder the winter nights grow

How we survive it we really don’t know

Nothing to eat but the acorns we stow

Terrible deep, the horrible snow.