Month: October 2024

An Indian Memorial that really caught my eye.

What historical event fascinates you the most?

A memorial at Barton

really caught my eye

Indian convalescents

on Britain’s Hampshire coast.

I knew they fought

in our ‘Great War’

Were on the Western Front

But here in sleepy Barton?

That took me by surprise.

How were they received here?

It must have been a shock.

Probably the first brown face

The locals ever saw.

I learned that they were feted,

Really popular,

The propaganda message:

The Empire backs our war.

Pictures show a concert

They held there for the troops

Parades and celebrations

When they finally left.

Khudadad Khan

was based here

India’s first VC,

Awarded that great medal

for his bravery.

I’ve made the place a study

The letters they wrote home.

They found the locals friendlier

Than the British back at home.

It led me on to study

The Indians at war

A fascinating study

I hope to learn much more.

You are not the centre

What’s something you believe everyone should know.

You are not the centre

However it seems to you.

There are eight billion people

And they’re all unique like you.

We see the world through our own eyes

We each have our own view

Each mind it’s own universe

All complex just like you.

We all experience different things

Our lives have their own skew

And yet we cling so rigidly

To our own point of view.

Know you’re not the centre

It isn’t all about you

Eight billion humans in the world

All complex just like you.

We only see the partial truth

We can not grasp it all

The world’s a very complex place

So listen to my call.

You are not the centre

There’s billions just like you

Try your very hardest

To see others point of view.

Hey Diddle, Diddle here’s a great riddle

What does it mean to be a kid at heart?

Hey Diddle, Diddle

Here’s a great riddle

When do we stop being kids?

Let go of your dreams

And stop having fun

And life will go into a skid.

The man in the moon

Came down to soon

Because he was feeling his age.

He said to the cow

There’ll be no jumping now

I’m tired of you acting so strange.

The dish and the spoon

Went into a swoon

‘We’re never too old to play’.

The cow gave a moo

Said, ‘I’m so sad for you‘

There’s no time for fun in your day.

The little dog groaned

‘You aren’t any fun’

Ran off with the dish and the spoon.

You’re never too old to be playful

It’s sad to be grumpy and dull.

Age is partly a mindset

I want to stay child like for now.

Be careful what you wish for is what they always say.

You have three magic genie wishes, what are you asking for?

Be careful what you wish for

Is what they always say.

Wishes can backfire on you

It’s always been that way.

So if I’m answering wisely

The first thing that I’d ask

The gift of conversation

Ability to talk.

Others can talk endlessly

They’ve always things to say

But I get lost in my own thoughts

I’ve always been that way.

Second I’d want empathy

To know what others feel

To be a better listener

And learn to really hear.

And for my third and final wish

I’d want a real good friend

Someone to confide in

And turn to for advice.

I am always envious

Of those with lifelong friends

My life has not been like that

Too often moving on.

These wishes may seem selfish

They just relate to me

But that is the tradition

It’s what a genie’s for.

My dad was in the army

Describe a family member.

My dad was in the army

Twenty nine years and more

From thirty eight to sixty eight

He’d joined before the war.

He spent the war in Burma

Fourteenth Army there

Then there was Malaya

A skirmish over there.

A couple of spells in Germany

He had us kids by now

And three years out in Cyprus

When they had troubles there.

He liked to keep strict discipline

‘Why?’, ‘Because I say.’

The punishment for being too slow;

A clip around the ear.

He didn’t used to talk a lot

My mum made up for that.

He never talked about the war.

Said ‘soldiers don’t look back’.

He always had a special chair

A pipe or cigarette.

He smoked a lot, he always had

We thought he’d never stop.

Heart problems didn’t stop him

He simply didn’t stop

But when they said he’d lose a leg

He stopped it overnight.

Sadly with the damage done

Quitting wasn’t enough

Though he lived a decent age

He suffered from a stroke.

Because he didn’t say a lot

We never got that close

He’d quickly hand the telephone

Over to my mum.

But now I’m getting older

I see myself in him

I am equally taciturn

Perhaps it comes from him.

I’m not strong on discipline

I struggle to be stern

But his Scots dad was very strict

I think it came from him.

My dad’s great strength was loyalty

He always stuck by us.

We sometimes don’t appreciate

Our parents till they’re gone.

My mother’s name was Margaret

Describe a family member.

My mother’s name was Margaret

I’ve told her life in verse.

I told it in a full length book

You’ll find it if you search.

She had an awful childhood.

She never knew her dad.

They used to blame the kids back then

And she was treated bad.

Sad inside she hurt a lot

But always liked a laugh

Surrounded by her family

Was all she ever asked.

Skinny when she married

She’d eat when she felt sad

So much love to spread around

Alas her health was bad.

Margaret was a soldier’s wife

She travelled quite lot.

But in the end she settled down

Content with what she’d got.

For her that meant a family

And she was at its heart.

I hope that we made up a bit

For Margaret’s awful start.

She said she’d write her story

But of course she never did.

That is why I wrote my book.

I hope you’ll take a look.

Of course I’ll say it’s running …..

What is your favourite form of physical exercise?

Of course I’ll say it’s running

Because I always do

You ask the same old questions

So what else can I do?

You’ll sometimes find me in a gym

But that’s not really me.

I like to swap the same four walls

For changing scenery.

When younger I played team sports

And football was my dream

But others choose when you can play

You have to make the team.

It’s my decision when I run

I just step out the door

I can do it anywhere

It’s what my legs are for.

It’s totally consuming

If you love our sport

Determines how you eat and sleep

Is always in your thoughts.

I know I’m getting older

I’m certainly slowing down

But I enjoyed it as a kid

And won’t stop now I’m grown.

It makes me feel alive again

I kid myself I’m young

There is no finer feeling

Than when you are on song.

If you have to ask the price…

How much would you pay to go to the moon?

There’s a rule in expensive shops

It goes a bit like this

If you have to ask the price

You can’t afford to shop.

Not that I’d want to go there

You know there’s nothing to see.

There’s cheaper ways of losing weight

Than zero gravity.

I’ve not heard that there’s great hotels

There’s definitely no pool.

Will there be a restaurant?

Or will we just take pills?

Where do they take off from?

Are there connecting flights?

And will they take us back to there

Or land us in the drink?

Can I fly economy?

Or must I go first class?

I’ll skip the inside cabin.

I think you’d want the view.

Will we get to leave the craft

When we are on the moon?

Or will they charge excursion fees

An extra cost on top?

I’m waiting for Black Friday

It may come down a bit

I’ll put it on my bucket list

Of things I’ll never do.

A working life is very long – you have to ride the waves.

What alternative career paths have you considered or are interested in?

Most of you are very young

Your life is stretched ahead.

A working life is very long

It’s awful to get stuck.

The world is changing very fast

You have to ride the waves

Look for opportunities

The present cannot last.

I’ve made my last career change

I stepped away from work

I’m happy now just growing things

Or dabbling with words.

But I have been done career change

I swerved it quite a bit

Librarian to policy roles

Was very different..

You need to learn transferable skills

Skills you can adapt.

Policy roles mean looking ahead

And seeing what’s round the curve.

The things that seem important today

Can quickly be swept away.

Expertise is quickly lost

You have to learn new stuff.

You wish to be successful?

Well this is my advice.

Try to be one step ahead

And don’t get in a rut.

Gourmet Bubble and squeak

What food would you say is your specialty?

Hmm..

Me a speciality?

There’s just stuff I can make.

Perhaps I should develop one

How bout bubble and squeak?

Perfect the dish and specialise

Become the best there is.

Perhaps a secret gourmet twist

To good old bubble and squeak.

Perhaps you‘re not familiar

With this brilliant dish

You make it with the left overs

Serve it with cold meat.

You mix cold mash potatoes

With cabbage or sliced sprouts

Bang it in a frying pan

And fry the whole lot up.

You fry it till it’s good and dry

You turn the burnt bits in

Get it crispy, flavourful

Then turn it out the pan.

I don’t know bout the gourmet bit

I guess it’s in the oil

Something posh, goose fat perhaps

And other stuff like Kale.

Sadly I’m no brilliant cook

Will probably mess it up

But if I need a specialty

Best be a simple one.