‘Is your glass half full or half empty?’,
A question I don’t understand.
My glass is half full if you’re filling it.
Keep pouring please – to the top.
Half empty as soon as I drink from it.
I could do with you topping it up.
The secret’s to keep refreshing things
Not just to use life up.
It’s fine to be glass half empty
Just remember to fill it back up.
I damaged my meniscus
I’ve buggered up my knee
Running’s loss my readers’ gain
It’s back to poetry.
No great loss to literature
And less so to the track
They won’t want me as laureate
But now at least I’m back.
I can barely walk just now
The verse is equally lame
Must be something I can do
It’s such a dreadful shame.
Do you vote in political elections?
Political elections?
Is there another kind?
Elections are we little guys’ chance
To influence who wields power.
Democracy’s not perfect
But the only chance we get
For else power comes from out of a gun
Or who writes the biggest cheque.
I’d like to see some changes
More influence for my vote
But will I exercise it?
You can bet your life I will!
What gives you direction in life?
My Sat Nav gives direction
It tells me where to go.
I’m re seldom quite sure where I am
But the Sat Nav seems to know.
My wife knows
Where I ought to be or seems to anyhow
Between the two I’m sorted out
And somehow find a route.
As to moral compass
Well deep down we all know
I ponder hard what I should do
And hope I’ll get it right.
Have you ever been camping?
Oh the joys of camping
Waking in the night
Knowing that the toilet block’s
Across a soggy field.
Assuming that you slept of course
On your hard bit of ground
Tight against your neighbour
Who’s restless, likely snores.
At least you got the tent up
That can be a chore.
Hope it was a good enough job
It’s blowing up a gale.
You’ll be up bright and early
No point lying in
You’re desperate for a warming brew
But camping stove won’t light.
Seek refuge in a cafe
A place with four good walls
Forget life under canvas
Don’t need it any more.
What advice would you give to your teenage self?
Nothing is for ever
The world you know can change.
Don‘t take things for granted
Good and bad times end.
You have to ride the punches
Don’t take them on the chin.
Always keep your guard up
Don‘t be taken in.
You have to pay attention
To know what’s going on.
Too late to start responding
When your back‘s against the wall.
There are no easy answers
Though they‘ll tell you that there are
Start to point at culprits
And play upon your fear.
Certainties can crumble
Friends and enemies change.
You feel ok, contented
Then the walls come crashing down.
Do not be distracted
Let trivia take you in
The world is ever changing
And you need to be prepared.
What bores you?
Want to know what bores me?!!
Prompts about myself.
The world is in an awful place
But What‘s your favourite dog?
Trump caves in to Russia
Excuses Putin‘s crimes
Carving up the mineral wealth
You ask about my schools?
Take a look at Palestine
You know what’s happening there?
A juicy piece of real estate
The people? Never mind.
Forget about the climate
Drill, drill, drill for oil
As long as we still have cheap gas
The world can burn like hell.
The US constitution?
I think they ripped it up.
Forget the checks and balances
There‘ll just be President‘s men.
There’s Elon giving Nazi salutes
And now Steve Bannon too
It’s looking far too scarily like
Things we‘ve seen before.
Attacks upon the media
A warping of the truth
Crush all opposition
Take all power to yourself.
But what‘s your favourite hobby?
What‘s your favourite treat?
You ask me what I’m bored of
It‘s prompts bout me, me, me.
What is your favourite drink?
Welcome Mr. Putin
What’s your favourite drink?
Never mind the rubble
It’s all good real estate.
They’ll talk about invasions,
War Crimes, body counts
But hey we’ve got no time for that!
Pour yourself a drink.
We are men of business
We can do a deal
Forget the moral compass
Let’s top up your glass.
Forget about the locals
Let’s get to the bar.
They’ve no need for enemies
With friends like USA.
We are men of business
We can carve things up
Lots of easy pickings
This is just the start.
If there were a biography about you, what would the title be?
The title ‘A Life in Places’
If I ever write the book.
I’ll scarcely be the hero
Just someone who was there.
I’ve lived in lots of places
Been through lots of things
But no I’m not a hero
My head kept mostly down.
They each come with a history
The places I have been
And that would be the focus
More than what I’ve done.
There’ll be Trieste and Cyprus
The Rhineland more than once
Time spent in Nigeria
And other places gone.
There’ll be a touch of tragedy
A death that cut me up
People I let down or met
Who helped me change my life.
Some parts are too painful
Perhaps it can’t be done
But yes I have a title
And that would be the one.
You get some great, amazingly fantastic news. What’s the first thing you do?
Good news, oh good!
That’s cheered me up
I really needed that.
I’m chuffed, I’m pleased
Upon my word
That’s really bucked me up.
I really can’t contain myself
I’ll have to share the news
Be telling everyone I meet
Just like I’m telling you.
Most likely I‘ll break into verse
It’s what us poets do.
They say it might not happen
But I really hope it does
Not to get good news right now
Would really be too much.
What’s your favourite candy?
If you say candy in English
We’ll think of candy sticks
But ask our favourite sweeties
That’s a different thing.
There’s Everton Mints,
Sherbert Dips, Liquorice,
Caramel treats,
Perhaps a tin of Quality Street
Challenging your fillings.
Some like Jelly Babies
Pastels or Wine Gums
And we’ve much better chocolate
Than horrible Hershey bars.
For me it’s always toffees
Or was till I did my teeth.
No it’s more dark chocolate
My favourite one is this.
Andrew Green's Poems 