Winter Snow

Winters come and winters go,

But here we rarely see the snow

That blankets all the towns up north,

So people have to sally forth

Dressed fro proper winters when

Each year they see the snow again.

Start of a New Year

Celebrations round the world

As a new year is unfurled

With midnight’s coming to each land,

Moving through each time-zone band.

Fireworks mark the moment when

Another year begins again,

And many people stay up late,

So that they can celebrate.

In many places, far and near,

The start of yet another year.

Plans for 2017

A new year is starting, and what can I do

To make sure that all of my dreams will come true

Relating to what I have planned to achieve

In the coming twelve months, as I carefully weave

A list of the tasks which I’ll keep as my goal,

Which I will complete through the year as a whole,

Being realistic, not aiming too high,

For there’s no point in thinking I’ll reach for the sky

When aware I can’t do it; but also I know

I must be quite wary of aiming too low,

Or I won’t have to work with the purpose in view,

That I will succeed in some things that are new.

Changes to Socialising

People need to socialise, by mixing with others more,

Meeting them all face to face, as people did before

The coming of computers and their side-kick, mobile phones,

So that many live their lives within “no contact” zones.

Most socialising’s done today through things like Instagram,

Twitter, Facebook and Linked-In, where friendship’s just a sham,

Instead of talking face-to-face, or on the telephone,

Speaking to an actual friend, just them and them alone.

End of Year Sales

Massive sales are on again, with most big stores partaking,

And for the next few weeks they’ll be their normal rates forsaking,

Offering throughout their shops, huge discounts to attract

The many bargain hunters who are lured in by the fact

The discounts are stupendous, making items very cheap,

And so through all those many doors, the eager shoppers leap.

But though the shops are filled with goods, and prices are reduced,

And most of them are hoping that their sales will give a boost

To general profits for the year, it really should be said,

That there is often little there worth spending money on,

For items that were popular have mainly already gone,

And all that’s left is things that no-one wanted much before,

But promises of discounts bring crowds surging through the door.

End of 2016

A new year we will shortly see,

With this consigned to history.

What have I achieved to date?

I really wouldn’t like to state;

Suffice to say, I now well know

That what I planned a year ago,

I haven’t managed to complete,

And sadly must admit defeat,

For in the few days left this year,

It couldn’t ever be more clear

There’s no way now I can succeed

In finishing each single deed

I’d planned back when this year began,

But maybe for next year I can.

The Black Sea Plane Crash

Another plane has crashed, and it would seem that all are dead,

Gone from happy take-off to an unplanned watery bed;

We do not know the reason why the flight came to an end,

Two minutes after leaving, and a great deal will depend,

On if it was an accident, and no-one was at fault,

Something that no man on board had any chance to halt;

Or if it turns out that the crash is found entirely due

To some untimely error, emanating from the crew;

Or if investigators of the cause have need to face

That terrorists could be involved, which still could be the case.

Whatever in the coming weeks the experts may decide,

It cannot change the awful fact that ninety-two have died.

Receiving Presents

I have no need of anything, but still it’s very nice,

Receiving little presents; the smallest will suffice

To make me feel excited, as I open it with joy –

A feeling left from childhood, and which nothing can destroy,

For what is in that package will so very often be

Something I’d not thought of, but would seem just made for me;

And which will get a lot of use, though I’d not thought before,

That it would be a present that I really would adore.

Christmas Eve

Hardly a sound disturbs the evening peace,

As traffic has appeared almost to cease;

The streets are fairly empty now of cars,

Whose presence peaceful streets so often mars;

No noise of parties issuing from flats,

With windows closed, no sound of even chats’

In several homes there twinkle Christmas trees,

Though seemingly much fewer now of these;

And then the sound of church bells fills the air,

Reminding all the people living there

It’s time to leave if they would play their part,

As Midnight Mass will very shortly start,

Tradition

Tradition helps cement belonging, making people feel that they

Are a part of something bigger, dating from a former day.

The present joins the past and future, linking both within a line,

With tradition carrying forward, and so often being the sign

That unites a group of people, all of whom have come to share

A history and a way of living, to which the young will be the heir.

My Blog is Up-to-Date

 After some neglect of late,

My blog again is up-to-date,

As from my brain each poem flows,

To be added on to those

Already there, so every day,

A poem will have made its way

On to my blog, for all to read,

And I now feel quite pleased indeed.

Freedom is Important

Freedom is a precious thing; that’s something one should not forget,

And if it is allowed to vanish, there will soon be3 much regret;

Vigilance is always needed to ensure that freedom stays,

So that we, like many others, will not have to end our days

Bound by laws and regulations, so that we can’t say or do,

Anything that is not sanctioned from our rulers’ point of view.

Storm Barbara

Stormy weather’s on its way,

Though it is quite calm today;

Barbara’s coming form the west

And on arrival will divest

Herself of rain and howling gales,

The sort of storm that ever fails

To make an impact, as it roars,

Over hills and towns and moors.

Swallows and Amazons

A story that’s very much set in the past,

One which would leave social workers aghast

If it happened today, with our much changed ideas

About our young children, with all of our fears

That mean supervision is part of their life,

Since dangers to children are everywhere rife.

In "Swallows and Amazons" there is no doubt

A child will be safe when he’s out and about.

The Walkers all go off, completely alone

To camp on an island, with no mobile phone

To keep them in touch with their family at home;

Instead the four children are left free to roam

All over the lake and the island they’ve seen,

Meeting with people, the nice and the mean;

Having adventures and showing that they

Are well fit to cope with whate’er comes their way.

No Time to Decorate

My flat needs decorating, but I really haven’t time,

So I’ll just have to tolerate its present state of grime;

It’s such an awful job to do, with furniture to move,

And so although I know a coat of paint would it improve,

it isn’t really difficult to put it off once more,

In just the same way that I’ve done so many times before.

A Modern Day Vicar of Bray

In seventy, when Health took charge,

EU was just UK writ large;

I favoured it like all the rest

Of Heath supporters, as the best

Way to move and join the crowd;

To be a Tory made me proud.

When Harold Wilson came along,

I sang a very different song;

Now Labour was the one for me,

And surely everyone could see                   

How good they were, right from the start –

They had the people’s needs at heart.

Things changed in Maggie Thatcher’s time –

I thought the Tories were sublime;

Everything they sought to do

Was in accord with my own view.

She was a hero in my sight,

And everything she did was right.

When Tony Blair came through the door

I knew the party to adore;

New Labour was the future way –

My fervour for them grew each day.

The other parties were the past -

New Labour had arrived at last.

But times can change, and governments too,

And twenty ten brought into view

Cameron’s Tories; along with them

The party of Nick Clegg – Lib Dem.

Coalitions, I now saw,

Were something we could do with more.

But then, of course, things changed again,

As were elected different men;

The Lib Dems almost ceased to be –

Of coalitions we were free.

I was a Tory, staunch and true,

Nothing else except true blue.

Parasites

A parasite by definition only takes and doesn’t give,

Relying on the work of others to enable it to live.

They come in many shapes and sizes, and they vary in their role,

But to take their needs from others, without payment, is their goal.

The word can be ascribed to people or to animals or plants,

For there are so many venues where their lifestyle can advance

For the one thing that defines them, which can’t really be denied,

Is parasites act on the basis, others must for them provide.

Dreaming Time

It’s nice to sit and dream awhile

Even though it’s not my style

To let my time just idle by;

The hours each day just seem to fly,

With little space that isn’t filled,

And so’s available to build

A little sanctuary of calm,

Where I can rest without a qualm.

The Problem with Bankers

To many people bankers are a source of all their grief,

Their greed and lack of honesty, they feel’s beyond belief;

Not producing anything, just shovelling round the cash,

Knowing that the deals they make are often very rash;

But they get their commission and their bonuses before

Everything goes very wrong, and they are out the door,

Moving on to other fields, where they can wheel and deal,

Shifting money round the world, while knowing it’s not real;

Encouraging all people to increase their slice of debt,

Whilst also raising interest rates as high as they can get;

Perhaps it might be better if the banks were more  restrained,,

And many bankers’ characters were not so badly stained,

If everything were simplified, and dubious deals were banned,

And cautious banks were everywhere in nearly every land.

If Only Girls

If only girls would play more sports, they’d find their lives much richer than

They were when they lead passive lives, before their  active lives began.

If only girls would spend more time on things like music, drama, books,

They’d gain a whole new view of life, on how the world around them looks.

If only girls would set their sights on reaching far up in the sky,

Believing that they can succeed, and all they need to do is try.

Diet Experts

In the world of diet experts, things keep changing every day,

New theories march towards the forefront, replacing ones sent on their way.

Fats are bad, well certain kinds, and it’s obvious that you should

Avoid the ones that can be harmful, eating those proved to be good.

Every type of fat is harmful, new research has clearly shown

And the dangers of indulgence, are through studies now well-known.

Fata are needed, and aid slimming, diet experts now declare

With some scientific figures, presented with a touch of flair.

Carbohydrates are what’s needed; potatoes are a super food,

Anyone who says the opposite, for their errors should be booed.

Carbohydrates turn to sugar, so aren’t really good at all,

And the thought of those potatoes, cannot help but one appal.

Meat should not be on the menu, for it causes heart disease,

Sugar’s out, but in comes honey, manufactured by the bees.

Don’t drink milk – it’s just for babies, and can make you rather ill,

No, that’s wrong, and healthy eating should include that half-pint still.

Tea and coffee, wine and soft drinks, like much else have had their turn,

On the lists of products experts state should be of much concern.

One feels the truth is none is certain, and it really is a shame,

That anything’s declared as gospel, when it’s  just  a guessing game,

Carols are Everywhere

Carols are a part of life, as Christmas Day draws near,

The well-know tunes and ancient words, which everyone holds dear;

Many have a place throughout the whole of Europe’s sphere,

And voices based in many lands all sing them loud and clear.

They are the sort of music which most people like to hear,

Bringing messages of hope and thoughts of Christmas cheer,

Where lonely shepherds in the fields and angels both appear,

Along with silent starry nights and swiftly running deer.

Babies Change

Tiny babies are very sweet,

They smile at everyone they meet;

They don’t mind if a person’s new,

They’ll go to everybody who

Will hold and cuddle them in their arms;

They really haven’t any qualms

About being passed and passed around;

Their placidness is well renowned.

By the time they’ve reached the age of two,

They often don’t like someone new;

It doesn’t matter if they’re nice,

Their newness often will suffice

For them to be ignored or shunned;

Many adults have been stunned

To find their love rejected by

That child, no matter how they try.

But it is nothing but their age;

For toddlers often have a stage

When they can cope with just a few,

And don’t like anyone that’s new.

Let's Have Less Obesity

They’re saying that obesity’s the cause of much ill-health,

Which costs a massive fortune and’s a drain on the nation’s wealth;

It seems a third of those unemployed through illness are simply fat,

And there is surely a lesson which one ought to learn from that;

If fatness causes illness, then all doctors should prescribe

A diet and more exercise, with orders to imbibe

Far less food and drink each day, until their weight goes down,

And they are slim and sylph-like, instead of like a clown;

And it wouldn’t cost a penny, for those fatties to address

The problem of their weight because they’d just be eating less.

Church Bells

The church bells are ringing to let people know

The service will quite soon be starting below;

From the tower they ring out, with their peals loud and clear,

Bringing their message to folk far and near.

A part of the culture for centuries past,

But the way things are going, how long will they last?

Will it Last

How much longer will it last,

Before the EU’s in the past?

Gone the vision to intrude

On the nation states imbued

With their own history, culture, rules,

Those things which form their people’s jewels,

Giving them a sense that they

Will be around for many a day,

Not one amorphous mass where none

Will have their own place in the sun,

But separate nations, though still friends,

Who each their way of life defends.

Simple Pleasures

Sunshine and a bright blue sky,

And small birds singing in the trees,

Soft green grasses underfoot –

I value pleasures such as these.

Trickling brooks where minnows play,

Sounds of grazing sheep and cows;

Peacefulness that will not cease,

A place where I could spend long hours.

Christmas

Christmas is a happy time, with much to celebrate,

The coming of a baby who would change all people’s fate,

The fact that through two thousand years, the birth of that small boy

Has been remembered every year, with such a  sense of joy.

The story of a woman who’s response to what she heard

Meant that she would bear a son, her heavenly Father’s Word;

All the customs that have grown throughout the ensuing years,

Helping to bring happiness, dispelling people’s fears;

The message that the angels brought, regarding peace on earth,

Which everyone associates with that miraculous birth.

Christmas is a time when all should think about the past

That date when God sent down His Son to save mankind at last.

Italy's Referendum

Now Italy has problems too,

And may upset the poor EU

Who aren't too happy with the fact

A vote of "Yes" will not be backed

By many who do not concur

With Renzi's plans, but would prefer

That he resigned and was replaced

With one with views more to their taste.

Tomorrow night we all should know

The way Italians want to go.

Commuting

Commuting’s really not much fun,

As daily battles must be won

To get on trains when packed so tight,

Those waiting really have to fight

To squeeze on board, if they are small

While larger folk can’t board at all.

And then the journey, squashed each side,

Doesn’t bring a pleasant ride,

But if your job is far away,

You have to do it every day.

If Bullies were no More

Life would be more pleasant if all bullies disappeared,

If there was no-one lurking round whose mind was firmly geared

To persecuting anyone who seem to be quite weak

Or vulnerable in any way, so they could easily seek

To cause them pain and sorrow, and subject them to such stress

That they would very quickly find their lives were in a mess.

Bullies are a menace, in whatever form they come,

Very often cowards at heart, attaching only some

Who seem to them the weakest, and least likely to retort

With words which clearly indicate a battle will be fought,

And they will be defeated by a stronger one than they,

And after being defeated, sent quite firmly on their way.

But there are some who are not tough, and shy away from fights,

And bullies take advantage of their vulnerable plights;

But wouldn’t it be nice if every bully changed his ways,

And all potential victims could enjoy much happier days.

No WiFi on the Tube

Something really must be done to sort out all the mess

As chances of a pleasant ride each day are less and less.

Problems now are partly caused by people on the move,

Who often walk quite slowly, as if just standing in a groove,

Because their minds are taken up with texting on their phones,

Causing much frustration and from other people groans.

Trains could leave more quickly if it really were the case

That everyone moved smartly, and maintained a decent pace.

But it very often happens that some platforms are awash

With people from a previous train, when others join the squash

Because they move so slowly, but if mobiles didn’t work,

And no-one on the underground could use this modern perk,

Things might be speeded up a bit, and thus reduce the crush

We all must now endure within the morning and evening rush.

Bad Hair Day

Why can’t my hair be like everyone else’s,

Sitting quite neatly on top of my head,

Instead of behaving so frightfully badly,

And giving me often a look that I dread?

It frequently sticks out and looks rather frizzy,        

And nothing I do seems to make it stay flat,

Till I’m almost tempted to teach it a lesson

And stuff it all under a scarf or a hat.

I really would like to have hair that stays tidy,

But so far unfortunately I haven’t found

A way to ensure that it stays how I want it to

Firmly in place and not waving around.

Christmas Lights

It’s  time to enjoy one of every year’s sights

The beautiful twinkling of Christmas tree lights,

Strung in the trees all along the main street,

Arranged in a pattern, so formal and neat;

Gracing shop windows, to highlight their wares,

Hoping that they will attract people’s stares;

Wrapped round the trees  placed in many a room,

Their presence defying the cold winter gloom.

Christmas lights always help make people feel,

The message of Christmas is something that’s real.

Advent

Advent is a time when we

Look forward with the hope to see

The second coming of Our Lord,

A subject over which we’ve pored

With many thoughts as every year,

We hope the time will soon be here,

When Christ in heaven above will deign

To come back down to earth again.

Stars in the Sky

Twinkling stars light up the sky

And make me often wonder why

They’re there and visible to view,

Very old, yet always new.

They have a magic quality,

Spanning the heavens for all to see’

So far away, yet seeming near,

Especially when the sky is clear.

A Common Language

If Europe ever were to be a single nation state,

Which many people in it hope will never be its fate,

It would need a common language, one familiar to all,

And which was used by everyone, so there was not a wall

Between the different people, who spoke other tongues at home,

So they could talk to everyone wherever they might roam.

A bit like in the distant past, when educated men

All spoke and wrote in Latin, so it didn’t matter when

They moved around the cities, for all educated folk,

Had a common language used wherever they awoke.

But educated Latvians and Finns and Czechs today

Can’t teach in any country where they might desire to stay,

For every country now makes use of its own mother tongue,

No longer using that to which in past times they all clung.

The French Election

The Americans have voted; a new president’s in place,

And now there’s little more to say about the US race;

But there’s another coming up much nearer home in May

When sixty million French will have the chance to have their say.

It seems that François Fillon, the republican, will stand,

And National Front Marine le Pen, will also join the band

Of those who would be president, along with several more

Whose chances are at best minute, judged by results before.

Most seem to think that there will be a run-off once again,

Between the two who gain most votes, being Fillon and le Pen.

And who will win?  None can be sure, until the votes are cast,

And have been counted and the name can be announced at last.

Overpaid Traders

Many think they’re important, just because they have money to burn,

Believing that they are superior, and deserve every penny they earn.

But when a crash comes and they’re jobless, they find out how much they are worth,

Discovering then to their horror, that of jobs they can do there’s a dearth

Except at a much reduced salary, a fraction of what they’d believed

Was their value to any employer, based on what they before had received.

And many who earned a small fortune and expect they’ll soon find a new role

Discover they’ve few skills to offer, and often end up on the dole.

It’s happened before in the City, and no doubt will happen again,

Bringing a shock of reality to swathes of the banking world’s men.

Shopping's a Bore

 Mostly shopping’s such a chore,

I wouldn’t mind to do no more;

Unfortunately, there’s no way I

Could in any way  get by

If I ever ceased to shop

So there’s no way I can stop.

Impatient People

Far too many people in this modern day and age

At the very slightest thing display a towering rage;

Used to getting what they want without the least delay,

They’ve never learned how anger should be often kept at bay.

Patience is a word they’ve little time for in their lives,

And often their reaction, faced with challenges, derives

More from their belief that they are always in the right,

And other people’s wishes should stay firmly out of sight.

Along with practicalities, which may quite often mean

They’ve asked for the impossible, like supper with the Queen.

Our Supermarket's Closing

Our supermarket’s closing down – whatever shall I do?

I’ll really miss them when they’re gone, and many others too

Will find it such a nuisance they can’t pop in on the way

From station to their house or flat while coming home each day.

It really was convenient, but it seems those days are gone,

And we must just accept it and just think of moving on.

And maybe plan things better, so we shop just once a week,

Instead of almost every day, so things won’t be too bleak.

A Pleasant Winter Evening

A cosy flat that’s nice and warm,

Safe from any winter’s storm;

Hot mince pies that have just been made,

Whose smell will take some time to fade;

Hot mulled wine with rising steam

Adds to a winter evening’s dream.

Lots of talk, and laughter too,

About the past, and all things new.

Experience Counts

Though the young can be good, there are many who'll feel

They’ll spend too much time re-inventing the wheel;

For they haven’t had time to have seen much before,

And picked up the tips and the industry’s lore.

Having ideas and the energy too

Are great when there’s something straightforward to do,

But may not be good, where experience counts

As pressure on how to proceed quickly mounts.

For those who are old will have possibly seen

The same situation, and many between,

And know from experience what should be done,

To make sure the most desired outcome is won.

Though the young can be good, there are many who’ll feel,

                                   

Vibrancy Needed

For dying churches to survive,

They really need to come alive,

And even if they’re very small,

Show their faith is there for all.

Don’t just go each week and say

It’s nice to while an hour away.

But be more active, have a change,

Maybe even re-arrange

The service so it’s relevant

To all, as well as those content

To come each week, as they’ve  always done

Even if it’s not much fun.

A vibrant church will tell the world,

This is where the faith’s unfurled,

This is where you ought to be,

If you’ve never been, just come and see.

And people then will want to go,

And that small church will start to grow.