Life is inspiration itโ€™s good to be alive

What motivates you?

Whatโ€™s my motivation

Letโ€™s give this a think

Whyโ€™m I doing what I do?

What gives me a push?


Itโ€™s too late for ambition

At least in conventional sense

But Iโ€˜ve still got stuff I want to do

And who knows how long left.


I want to make the most of life

Rejoice in my good health

Iโ€˜ve cash enough for what I want

And that, to me is wealth.


Iโ€™ve spent too long sat at a desk

Now love to be outside

Growing stuff or running hard

With good air in my lungs.


Life is inspiration

Itโ€™s good to be alive

To feel the rush another day

And just push on with life.


I want to keep on breathing

Have blood course through my veins

The simple joy of living

The motivation to be.

My top ten favourite movies?

What are your top ten favorite movies?

It can be rather difficult

For poets to put stuff in lists

And sad to say itโ€™s a busy day

So have I got the time for this?


The Green Mile is a brilliant film

And Forest Grump another

Chariots of Fire – canโ€™t make it scan

But โ€˜must haveโ€™ for a runner.



Annie Hall still makes me laugh

despite all Woodyโ€™s bother

Shape of Water, Parasite

Thatโ€™s another couple.


Thought Pulp Fiction very good

despite the gory violence

Back to the Future, War and Peace

Oppenheimer very good

I think thatโ€™s ten I make it?


Not a well considered list

Thereโ€™s many more could make it

At least I kept my streak alive

As far as I can take it.

The Next Big Thing

What do you enjoy most about writing?

Writing can be a struggle sometimes but thereโ€™s always that dream that keeps us going.

The Next Big Thing

Iโ€™m sat here in a coffee shop
Like a J.K Rowling thing.
My bookโ€™s going to be the
Next big hit
But Iโ€™m not quite certain when.

Youโ€™ll be taken by my hero
Quite an amazing chap.
Or he could be a girl
Iโ€™m not quite sure
Iโ€™ve not cracked that bit yet.

Itโ€™s bound to make me millions
All I needโ€™s a plot
Half an idea of what to write
Then itโ€™s certain to take off.

Iโ€™ve not quite got it started
I donโ€™t know where to begin
But if I ever write this book of mine.
Itโ€™s gonna be the next big thing.

To live beside the leafy Thames

What do you love about where you live?

To live beside the leafy Thames

Is what I love the best.

It lifts my spirits driving home

To catch a sight of this.


Theyโ€™ve pulled our town about a bit

There are no decent shops

But walks along the riverside

Make up for such a lot.


Boats along the river

Or bobbing in the lock

People come from miles around

To see what we have got.


It was so for generations

As a famous painting shows

A place of recreation

Where Londoners would go.


And yet we can escape the crowds

Walk further up its banks

Enjoy the ducks and river life

And quietly say our thanks.


And neighbouring towns and villages

Are just as nice as this

Nestled on the riverside

Are sights you shouldnโ€™t miss.


Majestic Windsor Castle

Or Henleyโ€™s rowing eights

The bustling town of Marlow:

Cliveden, Maidenhead.



Our town is far from perfect

Thereโ€™s things Iโ€™d like to change

But I just love our riverside

Known as โ€˜the jewel in the Thamesโ€™.

Mostly Iโ€™m just satisfied

What positive emotion do you feel most often?

Iโ€™d like to say itโ€™s gratitude

Or unrelenting joy

But have to answer honestly

Such gushings not my style.


I screw things up, I get things wrong

I do that all the while.

When things go right Iโ€™m โ€˜satisfiedโ€™

Allow myself a smile.


Of course Iโ€™ll get excited,

be happy, have my thrills

But theyโ€™re not things for every day

They happen when they will.


Mostly Iโ€™m just โ€˜satisfiedโ€™

I rub along ok

Nothing went too very wrong

It was an ok day.


You have to have your ups and downs

And plain old ordinary days

It makes the good days special

Itโ€™s always been that way.

Goals, goals, goals!!

How do you plan your goals?

Sadly thereโ€™s no strategy

Goals, objectives plans

Iโ€™m past my best before date

And Iโ€™m simply clinging on.


Thereโ€™s things I fill my day with

Thereโ€™s things I want to do

But as to life objectives

Iโ€™ll leave them up to you.


I could have made a bucket list

Of things Iโ€™ve left undone

But I take each day the way it comes

And try anโ€™ enjoy each one.

Donโ€™t consult a poet

Create an emergency preparedness plan.

In case of an emergency

Donโ€™t consult a poet

Theyโ€™re not much help to anyone

Unless you want a sonnet.


But by happy happy chance

Youโ€™ve found one who did planning.

Iโ€™ll do my best and try to help

If you donโ€™t mind it scanning.


First you need to make a list

Of all that could go wrong.

Pick out the most likely things

Or it will get too long.


Thereโ€™s natural disasters

mighty winds or floods

Or they could be man made

accidents and fires.

Or perhaps a loss of power.

What would we do then?!



Think of your security

burglars breaking in

Or medical emergency

a heart attack or stroke.


Now you have depressed yourself

The planning can begin.

First make out a contact list

The people you would call.


Everyone should have a job

And know what is their role

Plan how youโ€™ll communicate

And keep them all in touch.

Importantly a meeting point

Youโ€™ll run to if you must.





What about emergency kit

essential things youโ€™ll need?

Drinking water, food in cans,

first aid, batteries, medicine

And not forgetting cash.


Personal stuff like clothing,

blankets, toiletries.

Not forgetting documents,

insurance and ID.


Plan evacuation

How youโ€™ll all get out

For different situations

Like intruders, flood or fire.


Prepare yourself with training

Try to learn first aid.

Know resuscitation

and how to care for wounds.


Once you have

prepared your plan

plan for its review.

Updating regularly

Is what you need to do.


Hopefully your alright now

the pan will not be used.

And Iโ€™ll get back to poetry

As I prefer to do.

Iโ€™m like โ€ฆโ€ฆwell you know

What is a word you feel that too many people use?

So Iโ€™m like โ€˜absolutelyโ€™

And heโ€™s like

โ€˜You know what I meanโ€™.

The trouble is I donโ€™t know.

So Iโ€™m like try and explain!!

So then he goes like

โ€˜You knowโ€™

And Iโ€™m like

No I donโ€™t!!

And then he uses โ€˜awesomeโ€™

And heโ€™s driving me insane.

So Iโ€™m like

I hate โ€˜awesomeโ€™

It means reverential fear!

And heโ€™s like

Well heโ€™s โ€™you knowโ€™

โ€˜You get what Iโ€™m sayinโ€™?

I donโ€™t!

I hate these conversations

Words that are overused

Words arenโ€™t punctuation

โ€˜You knowโ€™sโ€™ just a pause

An irritating habit

Of people lost for words.

So Iโ€™m like please donโ€™t do it

And ask if he knows what I mean.

So he says โ€˜absolutelyโ€™

When the word he needed was โ€˜Yesโ€™.

So hereโ€™s my little hit list

Of irritating habits and words.

Please, please, please

Donโ€™t use them

Their overuse absurd.

โ€˜Likeโ€™ is like the worst word

and one you shouldnโ€™t use.

โ€˜You knowโ€™ is so lazy

You might as well not talk.

Donโ€™t say โ€˜absolutelyโ€™

if all you mean is yes.

And DONโ€™T say things are โ€˜awesomeโ€™

if you only mean quite good.

I take succour from one prayer

What brings you peace?

I find my peace in silence

Beyond all words or thought

A place where I can simply be

And meet a silent God.


I am not a one for gabbling

For vain repetitive prayer

Iโ€™m not much of a Christian

A sinner to be fair.


I take succour from one prayer

The one that we were given

But somehow see it differently

Perhaps the meaningโ€™s hidden?


Itโ€™s not just for repeating

โ€˜Say it after meโ€™

Itโ€™s a form for contemplation

A pattern for our prayer.


First we say โ€˜Our Fatherโ€™

All as one in Him

And think at once of โ€˜Heavenโ€™

A resting place with him.


We come to him with reverence

โ€˜Hallowed be thy nameโ€™

And think then of his Kingdom

A better place to come.


We ask to be his instruments

That His Will should be done

And we can build a better Earth

Where Peace at last will reign.


We donโ€™t come with a shopping list

Of things that God should do

That is childish foolishness

And not the point of prayer.


Weโ€™re thankful for our โ€˜daily breadโ€™

The simple things we need.

Heโ€™s not there for our spurious wants

But for our spiritual needs.


We pray forgive our trespasses

Because we know weโ€™ve sinned

But we must then show forgiveness

Towards those who hurt us.


I see this as a process

A list I should go through

It helps me into silence

I hope it may help you.

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: 

Give it up for medics

What profession do you admire most and why?

Itโ€™s tough to spin the this question

As I so often do

Thereโ€™s one profession springs to mind

Our doctors that is who.


A worthier profession

Itโ€™s hard to bring to mind

For what is more important

Than the health

Of human kind?


Itโ€™s such extensive training

It takes so many years

Life and death decisions

Responsibility theirโ€™s.


I do admire our doctors

Not something I could do

There is so much to understand

So much they have to learn.


And then there are the specialism

More than I can name.

So many different body parts

And each has got its man.


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