~~~
ahh baa-lambs
so very, very cute
delightful
skip and jump
there’s almost always
two, they’re twins
spring, summer
are both very nice
oh, but then…
they slow down
they’re more mature
just staring
so off to market
we must not mention this, no
bye, goodbye, baa-lambs
so something
very different now
more than good
we’ve some spuds
some lovely mint sauce
‘lamb for lunch’
~~~
‘What fun,’ grinned one of the boys.
‘Yes indeed,’ said the other one, ‘especially since we hopped on a bus, then we got out by this river in the Norfolk Broads.’
‘We have brought some sandwiches and we are wearing our wellies.’
‘And we have some fishing tackle, and we might even catch a couple of fishes.’
The two boys walked purposely.
‘It’s a bit deep by those reeds, and that’s going to be rather tricky,’ as one of them remarked.
But a moment later they heard an interesting sound.
‘Ooh, it’s a chug-chug-chug noise, and it’s getting closer.’
And very soon a cabin cruiser appeared.
‘Do you want to hop over here on the next bend?’ shouted an old guy on the boat. ‘I’m sure both of you will enjoy this.’
And so they did.
The two boys didn’t manage to catch a fish, but it was still fun.
~~~~
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up, up, up, from the deep pool
this pretty water maiden
is hungry, actually ravenous
she scans the pool edge
aha, there’s wild wood garlic
there are artichokes and chives
and even some watercress
this’ll be a great feast
so she’ll munch and munch, and burp
since there is no one around
she’s sometimes sad, but not much
she lives a good life
one day she will find a mate
and that will be quite awesome
but now everything is fine
going down, down, down
~~~
young dragon
was living in a deep forest
he pottered around there
and life was so good
but a problem
then reared up
poor dragon
he hadn’t expected that
such a great tragedy
it was cold and wet
freezing, but what
could he do?
young dragon
fled and flew into a cave
it was dry and warm too
and he mostly dozed
but then he sniffed
is it spring?
dear dragon
then flew down, back to that forest
he skipped and jumped too
his dragon wings
were beautiful
life was good!
~~~
Of course, I’m a big girl – and I’m a beautiful one, too. You see, I’m Clarissa, and this is Jennifer, and we’re the two best layers in this farm.
There are quite a lot of us around this place, and we’re all free. Free to peck in many nice places. There are walls and gates around the farm, and that is sensible. And we’re all kept in our coops in the night-time. It’s too scary otherwise, since there are foxes.
Now there is Floyd?
He’s the rooster, and a pretty good one.
He must cry from morning to night.
He’s very, very noisy, but we’re all happy about that.
It’s early, and it’s time for us to lay.
Jolly good, we’ve done it. So now it’s pecking time.
But what are these little things?
Piggies?
Do we remember those?
Maybe.
But we’ll just ignore them.
Let’s go back to pecking.
~~~~
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P.S. Clarissa and Jennifer were real hens, and Floyd was a real rooster. They had lovely lives for many years in our yard!
The two boys had been peering over one of the back gardens where there was a large shed. They could see something interesting, and they really wanted to see more.
“We could go around to the front and knock.”
“Or we could just bunk over the fence.”
And so they did. And luckily the shed wasn’t locked.
“Ooh look, it’s a tiny train on the track, and everything else.”
“Such detail.”
“And perfectly to scale too.”
The two boys looked at each other and grinned, and then they stared some more.
“That little train is immaculate.”
“It’s in the proper colours, like British Rail.”
Then an old man appeared. “Oy, what are you up to?” But then he grinned. “Okay kids, I’m happy to show how it works, and you can watch.”
The two boys grinned back.
“This is going to be fun!”
“And you can call me Uncle Bill.”
~~~~
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Ladybird,
or maybe,
Ladybug.
Either way,
it matters
not a bit.
I have red
and black too,
polka dots!
It’s summer
afternoon
busy time.
I’m lucky
and also
good fortune.
Now I will
eat aphids
and many!
~~~~
Peacock Butterfly – Crispina Kemp
what happened to me?
I’m a peacock butterfly
look, I’m so pretty
I’m going to have a mate
and a family, but what then?
such a whirlwind month
I’d been a caterpillar
and before an egg
at least, I think so, but now
I’m afraid I’ll be no more
~~~~~~
Jisei – A traditional Japanese Buddhist death poem which discusses death and the meaning of life in the last moments before death. This form uses the syllabic form of the Tanka (5/7/5/7/7) and is generally serious though it can be humorous. We have all mused on our own demise – try to do it in this form.
Plus, I felt I needed two of these.
Thanks, Val
~~~~
WWII sea mine – Crispina Kemp
It was him!
It was a sea mine
To keep our coasts safe.
World War Two was dreadful
As many lives were lost.
So victory was needed.
He was in the right place and the right time.
It was Winston Churchill,
Man, War Correspondent and Prime Minister.
~~~~
Acrostic – This form requires that the first letter of each line forms a message. It was used for messages in code between lovers, spies, and mischief-makers. Write a message to other poets.
Or possibly a writer, an artist and more much.
Thanks, Val
~~~
The two boys braked, then wheeled around and stopped.
They peered at the sign.
‘This looks interesting.’
‘Do you think there is a castle down there?’ as he read what it said.
‘Could be.’
‘Well, it doesn’t say that we are not allowed to go along that drive, does it?’
So they started to bike while looking around the long winding road. It was pretty overgrown, and there seemed no-one around.
But then, what a vista!
The two of them stopped… dead.
‘What is it?’
‘Certainly not an old castle.’
They dropped their bikes, then walked around the imposing round building.
Just then, a large door opened from the inside, and a man appeared, and smiled. ‘Do come in, you’ll like this, I’m sure.’ He pointed up.
The two of them looked up. For a moment they said nothing, but then they both said: ‘Wow, a wonderful observatory – how cool!’
~~~
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