Month: February 2025

Nothing is for ever

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.

When the world is where it is – prompts about myself.

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.

Welcome Mr Putin – What’s your favourite drink?

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.

‘A Life in Places‘

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.

Fantastic news

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.

We don’t say ‘candy’ in English but if you’re talking sweets….

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.

Give me a break

Do you need a break? From what?

Give me a break!

Cut me some slack!

This stuff again?

Some kind of a joke.

Cut me some slack

It’s too much to take

Some kind of a joke

You’re screwing my head.

It’s too much to take

Can’t take any more

You’re screwing my head

It’s just a repeat.

Can’t take any more

Again and again

It’s just a repeat

You’re doing me in.

Again and again

The same old thing

You’re doing me in

What’s it all for?

The same old thing

It all gets too much.

What’s it all for?

The thing never ends.

It all gets too much

I just need a break.

The thing never ends.

A verse form that sucks.

I just need a break

From writing Pantoums

A verse form that sucks

Some kind of a joke.

So much change…

The most important invention in your lifetime is…

No internet, no World Wide Web

Certainly not no mobile phones!

I’m getting old, a fifties kid.

None of this was then around.

Social Media, streaming films

Credit cards and ATMs.

Sat Nav and the GPS.

AI, nano, MRI.

The most important who can say?

Perhaps it was the microchip?

Without it would we have all this?

A perfect day

Describe your most ideal day from beginning to end.

I wake up full of energy

I had a good night’s sleep

I make my wife a cup of tea

And set out for a run.

There are no outings planned today

My time is all my own.

Along the river on my own

Totally in the zone.

Back for a leisurely breakfast

And watching garden birds.

Two good cups of coffee

While we plan our day.

Then maybe our allotment

A space where we can grow.

Time outdoors, the weathers good

And nothing has gone wrong.

We’ll do more than we thought we would

We’ll get into our stride.

We’ll look around see what we’ve done

And feel a sense of pride.

We’ll get back tidy up a bit

Then have an easy lunch.

Nothing complicated

Just bits to pick us up.

Then perhaps a journey

Somewhere up the Thames

Just somewhere to poke around

To walk or visit shops.

Back to get our dinner

Meat and home grown crops.

I will do the easy bits

My wife’s the brilliant cook.

Something on the telly

Binge something we have found

Then off to bed. Not too late.

A perfect day all round.

The things that make us who we are.

How do significant life events or the passage of time influence your perspective on life?

Births and deaths and marriages

Major Life Events

Relentless ticking of the clock

All these shape our lives.

Things that’ll flash before our eyes

As we come to that last breath

painful incidents passed from mind

Helped make us who we are.

We’re born into a culture

A class, a place in life

Parental influence guides us

Shapes us as a child.

And then there’s education

Where we go to school.

The friends we meet,

the games we play

How often we may move.

Youthful independence

The need to break away.

The circles that we move in

What we do for work.

Who we choose as partners

If relationships work

Whether we are faithful

Or painfully break up.

Having our own children

Watching them grow up.

Seeing our reflection

Wanting more for them.

Illness and affliction

Unexpected death

Mourning for our loved ones

Those that die too young.

Friendships that we make and break

People that we meet.

Whether we stay us we are

Or maybe step away.

Perhaps a mid life crisis

You’ll question who you are.

See that time is running out

And question what you’re for.

Finally you’ll get older

You’ll fight that change at first.

But one day we must all accept

That life comes to an end.

Life forms our perspective

Our views are bound to change.

If we just stay as we were

Then what’s it all been for?