Finding Time to Write

I really cannot fathom those who say they have no time

To dash off something every day in prose or maybe rhyme

I always have a notebook near so I can write things down,

Whether I’m at home or work or walking round the town.

I might be sitting on a bus when suddenly I find

A new idea, or maybe two, has come into my mind,

And as I’ve paper handy I can quickly make a note,

Even if just briefly so the whole thing’s kept afloat.

I might be strolling in the street when suddenly I see,

A scene, event, activity, which will provide the key

To something I will later write when I’ve a moment spare,

Which I’ll base upon the note I made while I was there.

I’ve written things in cinemas, while waiting for the show,

With nothing more to see by than their usual pallid glow.

I’ve scribbled things in restaurants, while waiting for my meal,

Though crowded cafes often are quite from my ideal.

I’ve snatched some minutes to compose while waiting for a train,

And then when I had climbed aboard began to write again.

I’ve written poems in the bath, while watching dinner cook,

While sitting in the summer sun beside a babbling brook.

In fact one can write anywhere, one need only need a pen,

Together with some paper to produce some words again.

A Picture on the Wall

A beautiful picture can bring to a wall,

Of a very small room or magnificent hall,

A completely new look where its colours collect

Together to show forth and often reflect

The thoughts of the owner, who chose it to be

Hung in a place where most people would see

Its character, details and message enshrined

In all of their thought that would pass through their mind.

Of Course I'm Pro Life

Of course I’m pro-life, and I’m really surprised

There are still individuals who’ve not yet realised

Abortion means killing a live human being;

They’re still on the journey and still far from seeing

That babies are people, even when very small,

With the right to respect that is due to us all.

Few would suggest a new-born should be killed

Simply because its own mother so willed,

And yet there are people who cannot see why

It’s wrong the unborn should be sentenced to die.

We only can hope as the world marches on,

Such threats to the unborn will shortly be gone.

A Boon for the Papers

The forthcoming vote is most surely a boon

For the papers from now till the third week in June,

For they can all carry great screeds of reports,

On people’s long speeches and others’ retorts;

Editorial comment on every word said,

Of which it is certain they all will be fed;

Statistics galore will be floating around,

Showing who’s gaining and who’s losing ground;

Polls which are claim represent the true state,

Whose figures it’s said on the day will equate

With a victory so large there’ll be no room for doubt,

Whether the UK stays in or comes out,

Or maybe a race that is too close to call,

Meaning they really have no clue at all

Of how it will go, when the votes have been cast

And all the excitement is over at last.

Heating in Tube Trains

The heat in the tube trains can be quite excessive,

All seasons but winter, when cold reigns outside;

Autumn and spring are especially tiresome,

If one has a long under ground trip to ride.

And then in the summer when heating is often

Still on in the carriages, pumping warm air

Into compartments already well-heated

From all of the bodes together packed there

Only in winter are tube trains quite pleasant,

With heating that’s usually just about right;

The rest of the year they should really consider,

Especially at rush hour, the poor travellers’ plight.

Plea to my Readers

So many readers seem to live in places far away,

Ranging east to Russia and to west the USA;

Germany and Ireland, also France and the Ukraine,

Romania and Canada, and also down in Spain.

I’m really pleased you take the time to wander through my site,

And I’d be really happy if some kindly readers might

Spend a minute writing a short comment on my blog,

For writing something every day can really be a slog,

Thinking up new subjects, turning ideas into verse,

Sometimes being quite lyrical and other times quite terse.

So I’d love to hear from readers, and especially like to know

What sort or poems interest you, to help my blog to grow.

Asylum Seekers

Huge numbers  of youths - so just who are these
Who proclaim to the world  that they're all refugees,
Forced by the terrors and tortures at home
To leave their own lands and to Europe to roam?
And yet in most cases you'll probably find
Their wives and their mothers are all left behind
To face all the horrors the young men will not.
Where torture or rape or death may be their lot,
Surely no decent young man would ignore
His duty to send on his family before
He himself left, thus ensuring that they
Would have the best chance to get safely away,
And while they faced danger they all could depend
On him there protecting them right to the end.
Or is the truth possibly most of them are
Just young men who've made their way here from afar
Seeking to live in a much richer place
And all the good things Europe offers embrace?
Of course when one looks at them all it is clear
Some from among them have fled here in fear
And cannot go back to their previous state
Where they were the victims of violence and hate.
But those who have genuinely been forced to flee
Will likely be part of a whole family,
Not single young men, who could well stay and fight
And work at improving their own country's plight.

A Girl's Rights

A girl should have freedom to make her own choices,
She shouldn't be forced to obey others' voices.
No fathers or brothers of husbands should rule
On whether and how long a girl girl goes to school.
A good education should be hers of right
And girls in today's world should not have to fight
To gain the same schooling as that of the boys,
For nothing as easily girls' futures destroys
As lack of the skills that will help them to find,
A way of being free of the past daily grind.
The choice of a husband should be hers to make,
Especially considering what is at stake
In countries where girls are routinely still forced
To marry their cousins, with child brides endorsed.
Girls should be given a choice of career,
And helped to pursue it without any fear;
No posts should be barred to them based on the past,
With all jobs being open to women at last.
Girls should be free to wear what they desire,
Instead of being forced to wear awkward attire
People today should quite justly applaud
Those girls who would travel or study abroad.
In the twenty-first century girls should be free
To live and to plan what their future should be.

Whatever You Do

Whatever you do it should be done
With all the zeal and fervour of one,
Who never agrees if someone asks,
To undertake any major tasks
Unless they feel that they can bring
Enthusiasm to everything
The task entails and they believe
It's something that they can achieve.
When asked so many just agree,
And then they find they're all at sea;
When faced with what they've said they'd do
And realise they have not a clue,
And very often then proceed
To just ignore what they've agreed.
Or else they feel they are exempt
From more than just a vague attempt,
And if that fails they just move on
And hopes they'll do the job are gone.
It's better that one not say "yes"
Before being able to assess
Whether one has the time and zeal
And knowledge one will need to deal
With all the project that's in mind,
So that everyone will find
It's done, and also with as well
Enthusiasm none can quell.

Artists' Hopes

For some their art's the most important thing,
Whether they paint or act or play for sing;
They're less concerned with money and getting on,
If that would mean the chance to create was gone;
They're happy fulfilling a less exalted role,
So they can pursue a more artistic goal.
So artists  work in cafes and coffee bars,
Hoping one day, maybe, that they'll be stars,
But at the same time always being aware
That very, very few will make it there.

Priorities

Instead of spending money on acquiring extra things,
Despite the obvious pleasure going shopping often brings,
Perhaps it might be better if all focussed more on art,
And made the world of culture of their lives a vital part.
Going to a concert in the place of buying shoes,
In cities there's a wealth of different types from which to choose;
There are many exhibitions so it won't be hard to find
One that is of interest and will stimulate your mind;
Museums come in many forms, designed for every taste,
So any hours spent visiting will not have gone to waste;
For those whose love is drama, there are constantly new shows,
As fresh ones take the place of all the old ones as they close;
Or maybe you like lectures that give all the chance to learn,
On interesting topics and on subjects of concern;
You could go to pottery, or maybe learn to draw,
Study serious subjects, like philosophy or law;
Learn to dance, take part in sports, and get some exercise,
Even things like sailing or hang-gliding in the skies;
Your house may be less cluttered, but your memories will be more,
If your money's spent on doing, not on buying as before.

Bullies

Bullies cause problems, of that there's no doubt,

They're very self-confident, and tend to shout,

Drowning objections and forcing their will

On everyone weaker, and using their skill

To make life unpleasant, one step at a time,

So it's usually not clear they're committing the crime

Of harassing their colleagues or school-mates or wife

And bullying often can make someone's life

A total disaster, for those who'd prefer

It wasn't required to fight back to deter

The unpleasant bully who makes it his goal

To try and keep everyone in his control.

A great many people believe that they should

At all times be friendly and try to do good;

They don't want unpleasantness, and always try

To make people happy, and not want to cry;

They do all they can to ensure that there's peace,

And hope that, ignored, then the bullying will cease.

But the truth is that bullying's usually a curse

Which left unconfronted will only get worse;

Unfortunately this is now one of life's facts,

That bullies will never be stopped in their tracks,

Unless all their victims ensure they change tack,

And make it quite clear they intend to fight back.

The Referendum

A referendum's scheduled in about a hundred days,
Which could change life in Britain in so many different ways.
The vote could be resounding for departing the EU,
Or perhaps that course of action then endorsed by just a few.
If the votes for staying in make up the largest share
The government will make it known no change is in the air.
But if the vote's for moving out, then things will quickly change,
For this will very surely prove quite tricky to arrange.
For after over forty years, so much is now entwined
Which would take many people quite a long to unbind.
For when all documents were signed no leader could conceive
That any state when once they'd joined would ever want to leave.
So all negotiations would then need to start from scratch
To find out just how Britain from the EU could detach.
It surely would be messy, and might take up several years,
For departure to be friendly and not end in endless tears.
And with Britain no more in it, other countries might decide
That they too might fare better if they also were outside.
So a British vote to leave might well result in the EU
Morphing into something that will be completely new.
No-one can possibly predict the outcome of the vote,
Or how it will affect the EU's chance to stay afloat.
On one thing politicians though would all seem to agree,
The outcome of a "Yes" vote would be interesting to see.

Feminists Should be Pro Life

t's usually thought that feminists will always be "pro-choice",
With little interest in the plight of those who have no voice,
Like tiny babies in the womb, or maybe not so small,
Who til the day when they are born lack any rights at all.
But surely every feminist should really be pro life,
Since it's the case, in many lands, not wanting girls is rife.
And baby girls are more at risk in places it's denied
The coming of a little girl can be a source of pride.
Feminism's all about achieving equal rights
So women just as much as men can scale the highest heights,
So much of women's struggles in the past involved their state
As chattels of another who could then decide their fate,
Since they weren't independent and could not go off alone -
A concept nearly everyone today would not condone.
So why should women now decide where babies are concerned
Any thoughts of rights for them should rapidly be spurned,
Just because for nine short months  all babies must depend
Entirely on their mothers, til the pregnancy's at end.
Surely every feminist who stops to think will see,
Just how inconsistent such an attitude must be,
For if their rights flow out from just the fact that they exist
Then babies' rights must also of this basic fact consist.

The Lost Babies

The Lost Babies

The figure of two hundred thousand is spinning around in my head,

The number of unborn babies that in just a year will be dead

Within one quite small country, the UK, and that is all –

A huge and awful figure that should everyone here appal.

It’s really a terrible scandal that so many young lives have been lost,

And Britain some time in the future will have to start counting the cost,

For its people are growing much older, with fewer young adults to care

For those who got rid of the babies, the ones who should now be there.

Abortion has taken so many, who looking ahead would have cared

For  their elderly mothers and fathers, if only their lives had been spared,

The Deadliest Place

Babies are such precious things, they all deserve to live,
Receiving all the love and care the world has there to give;
The sceptre of abortion over none of them should loom,
And yet today the deadliest place for them is in the womb.
For once a child is born its life's protected by the law,
And no-one has a legal right to kill it any more.

Snow in the Night

I wake in the morning and look out the window, and see that the rooftops are covered in white,

It's obvious the snow has descended on London and made a short stop here some time in the night;

Only an inch or two seems to have fallen, but that is enough for a magical scene,

With everything looking so fresh and enchanting, especially where white is entwined with leaf green.

It seems such a pity it can't last for ever, but the snow will soon melt and then all will go back

To the same grimy colour scheme, where the main features as usual in London are grey, brown and black.

A Relaxing Evening

A relaxing evening in front of the fire,
What more could one in winter desire?
An interesting book, a glass of wine,
And everything will seem just fine.
The wind can blow, the rain can fall,
But I'm oblivious to it all,
As warm and cosy I pass the time
Until into my bed I climb.

History's the Key to the Present

How can one explain the present, lacking knowledge of the past.

With so many lands affected by their history’s icy blast?

Most modern countries were created often in quite recent times;

Drawing borders on some paper, with reality rarely chimes.

People who throughout their history have been enemies or worse,

Can discover they’re a nation now with those they used to curse.

People can be lumped together, forming a much larger state,

Forced to co-exist with cultures formerly they used to hate.

Everything might seem quite stable, viewed by those who’ve never known

All the bitterness and hatred that throughout their past have flown;

Strong government may keep things peaceful, with dissension not allowed,

And potential rebel leaders by the thoughts of prison cowed.

But if ever there’s a vacuum, with weak government at the helm,

There’s a chance there’ll be uprisings, seeking then to overwhelm

The current state and form another, which most often will be based

On some clear and common feature, such as history, faith or race.

Think of former Yugoslavia, which for many years stood firm;

But Tito’s death lead every region very quickly to affirm

Their right to be a separate nation, since they had the chance at last

To reclaim their former status, with a name drawn from the past.

They are just but one example of the need to go behind

The present set-up, searching backwards, for there often one can find

The seeds of what is now occurring, growing from events of old,

Which with just a little knowledge, easily could have been foretold.

A Heavy Frost

Icy fronds which crackle as I walk along the street,

Marking where there would have been just leave beneath my feet,

But these have now been froze and are pearly white with frost,

And all their brown and wilted forms have in the night been lost.

The pavements which last night were damp with water from the rain,

Are now this morning sheets of ice no skater would disdain;

The water dripping from the taps outside the houses’ walls,

Has frozen into longish spikes and now no longer falls;

The trees have sparkling branches, with their leaves all tipped with ice,

Looking from a distance just like little grains of rice.

The pond has frozen over, and now birds across it walk,

Ducks and geese and moorhens, and as well a lonely stork;

There’s something so attractive in a cold and frosty dawn,

When the sun is just emerging as another day is borne;

Providing one is well wrapped up and dressed for bitter cold,

An icy landscape usually is delightful to behold.

When Will It Come to an End

When will it come to an end, all the fighting on earth?
Of those who sincerely want peace, why is there such a dearth?
Why are there so many men who seem to think it is right
To seize every chance they can to take up a gun and fight?
Why don't they focus on helping to make life on earth more serene,
Improving the lives of their brothers, and showing what progress should mean?
A world where there's peace and compassion, where it is accepted all should
Give of their talents for others, and focus on everything good.

Improving the World

So many countries are fighting each other,
As well as all those in which brother fights brother;
Wherever one looks it is not hard to find,
Examples of all that is worst in mankind.
Too many people want power and control.
With bullying others their life's chosen goal;
Their greed has no limits - they must be in charge;
Wherever they do, their ambition is large;
They're happy to trample on those in their way,
While seeking to gain more and more every day.
But think how much nicer our life here could be
If when you looked round everywhere you could see,
A world where the people all strive to bring peace
And efforts to love and to care never cease.

Storms

Storms are just a part of life that no-one can avoid,
From smallish squalls to hurricanes where buildings are destroyed.
There may at times be nothing more than fiercely blowing wind,
But violent gales quite often can with lashing rain be twinned,
So anyone who's out in them though water-proof entrenched
Runs the likelihood that they will very soon be drenched.
No brollies are of any use when out in such a storm.
For they'll be changed to inside out and take a different form;
There may be bolts of lightning too, which streak across up high
Or make their way straight downwards from their source up in the sky,
Accompanied by thunderclaps, whose noise could wake the dead,
Following the lightning bolts as they race on ahead.
And then there are those other storms, the figurative kind,
When people shout and won't be calmed, the sort that you will find
Wherever those with wills of steel must try and get along
With others who've their own ideas and who are just as strong;
Meetings can be stormy and relationships as well,
And discord usually will exist wherever people dwell.
Storms of any sort result from lack of peace and calm,
Whatever form they take, they usually tend to cause some harm.

A Reason to Wait

If you suddenly find you are pregnant, and don't want the child in your womb,

Just stop and think for a moment, for everything isn't all gloom;

The thought of big changes in lifestyle may cause you to panic at first

But looking at all that could happen, a baby is far from the worst.

Your hormones may fluctuate wildly, so making you feel quite depressed,

Irrational, fearful and tearful, quite nauseous, and all the rest.

But all that should pass fairly quickly, and then your perceptions may change,

As everything goes back to normal, and you yourself don't feel so strange.

And when all the waiting is over, and you have your small child in your arms,

You may find, like so many mothers, you're quite overwhelmed by its charms.

But if you still feel you don't want it, or simply can't cope with a child,

Of one thing you can be quite certain, you definitely won't be reviled

If you give it up for adoption; there are plenty out there who'd adore

To take your child into their family, and love it for ever more.

Time many solve most of your problems, as many would surely avow,

So don't make a hasty decision, just based on the way you feel now,

Sixty is the New Forty

In days gone by it was often thought,
Since lives of so many were quite short
That forty made one middle-aged,
A birthday that began the stage
Of shutting down, if fairly slow,
With less than thirty years to go.
At forty one's now in one's prime;
It certainly is not the time
To think of slowing down at all;
To most the idea would appal.
At sixty one might just begin
To think of old age creeping in,
But slowly, not in any rush,
As water trickling, not a gush;
Middle-age has just begun,
With years ahead to pack with fun.
So raise a glass to toast the date,
If being sixty is your fate.
Decide that you will still be bold,
For these days sixty isn't old

Daydreaming

Among all the hassle and world's constant din,
I want to discover the artist within;
The me that's creative and full of ideas,
Whose mind's very active and regularly veers
To all sorts of topics ,which change by the day,
Ensuring I'm frequently carried away
By interests in painting with oils for a start
Old Masters which lead on to more modern art;
Bold watercolours and black and white prints,
Paintings which make use of pale pastel tints;
Portraits which seek to express inward thoughts,
The old family picture which often purports
To show an ideal, which is crafted with care
Much attention being given to all that they wear.
I imagine it's me who has painted these things
Enjoying the pleasure that daydreaming brings;

Love's Place in the World

Love is what keeps all the world going round,
Its presence improves things wherever it's found;
It makes such a difference in most people's lives,
For one of its fruits is that everyone strives
To help all their neighbours and stifle dissent
Which used to cause problems wherever it went.
Where love is at work people want to be kind,
To care for the weak is no longer a bind,
But rather a pleasure, a part of being free
To give of themselves without charging a fee.
Love helps cement a large crowd into one,
Creating a unity where there was none.
A world without love could soon come to an end,
As slowly but surely that world would descend
Into violence and hatred where everyone sought
To get all they could, many battles being fought
Until just the strongest remained in the world
And fear and distrust all the time round them swirled;
A place where most people would not want to live,
Where everyone takes and no-one wants to give.

Babies are Born to Love

Babies are such sweeties; they exhibit so much charm,
It's difficult to think that anyone would wish them harm;
They laugh and smile and giggle and just ask to be adored;
In nearly every adult their demeanour strikes a chord,
And makes them want to help them, for it seems that babies know,
They need the love and care that only adults can bestow.
So they're inately endearing from the time when they are born,
It's rare to see a baby which is grumpy and forlorn.
And if it is it's probably because there's something wrong,
And hopefully they will not stay like that for very long.

The Problem with Time

Lack of time is a problem we all have to face;
For time never stop as it marches apace,
With days passing swiftly till weeks have gone by,
And all we can do is to stop and to sigh,
That we haven't achieved all the things that we'd planned,
For time disappears just like granules of sand.
One moment it's here; in an instant it's gone,
It's hard to believe just how fast it moves on.
And we are left standing, aware of the fact
That though all our days may seem busy and packed,
We haven't succeeding in meeting our goals,
And when we look back we can see there are shoals
Of things we have left, though intended to do,
And each passing day means that more will accrue.
For time's in a hurry, and we all can but try
To do what we can as it passes us by.

The Wealth of Europe and the "Refugee" Problem

What can be done with the "refugee" tide,
Now growing and pressing on every side?
So many believing that Europe's the place
Where everything's free and no-one has to face
A future with hardship, up there in the North,
Where nothing is needed from them to bring forth
A home, education and medical care,
With plenty of money awaiting them there.
They usually don't know it was very hard work
By those in the past that's produced every perk
That Europeans have and they now can enjoy,
Which huge extra numbers might quite well destroy.
For European wealth flowed from effort and peace,
Plus cultural values which still do not cease
To have an effect on the work which of late
Has been the chief goal of each European state:
A goal towards which every one of them strives,
To provide for their people and cushion their lives.
Outsiders  just see all the goodies around
Which they want to have without paying their pound.
For the truth is that Europe has worked very hard
from the time when most countries by war had been scarred;
Not just to have peace, but take under their wing
Improvements that only good government could bring.
Perhaps the young men who are now every day
Flocking to Europe from lands far away,
Should think of returning, and working to build
An ethos at home so their country is filled
With people whose minds and  whole hearts are on fire
To provide all the benefits that they desire.