Memories from the Past

So many changes have occurred as decades have rolled by,

Even thought the time involved has really seemed to fly;

But looking back I’m well aware just how the world has changed,

As old traditions, life and ways for new have been exchanged.

Technology has played a part; there nothing seems to last,

As newer, better gadgets overtake those from the past

Some countries that one time were here have quietly disappeared;,

Likewise famous leaders who at one time were revered.

New states have suddenly appeared, which were not there before

Often born through armed revolt and other types of war;

Our enemies of yesteryear, may now not be the same,

As new alliances may mean they’re no more in the frame;

And on the more domestic front, so much is different now,

Many things forbidden once, the changed laws will allow.

And some things legal in the past are firmly out of bounds,

Plus neutral things like swapping lsd for pence and pounds;

Transport has seen changes, which include the newest trams;

Education too’s moved on, with many new exams;

Old shops that had been there for years have closed or moved away,

Replaced by endless multiples which line the streets today.

Housing has improved so much, compared to yesteryear,

But when the problem will be solved, it seems there’s no idea;

So much has happened in my life; I’ve seen so many things,

And having memories of the past is something old age brings.

Restocking the Freezer

A massive job, which has to be done –

Restocking the freezer isn’t much fun!

Endless chopping of onions and green,

Parsnips, potatoes, and leeks and beans;

Carrots and Swedes and red peppers too,

All of the things that one needs for a stew.

Filling up small plastic pots which will hold

Enough just for one and much smaller than sold

Also containers which hold a lot more –

The slicing and chopping can be quite a bore!

But finally all the restocking’s complete

And everything looks now quite pristine and neat.

Corpus Christi

Today is when we celebrate a very important fact,

That Christ gave all his people what they previously lacked,

That means of sacrifice which they would carry out for ever,

Joining them to Him with ties that none on earth can sever.

His flesh and blood are now our food which strengthen us to fight

For all the Christian truths that in our hearts we know are right.

Although it’s true each Mass enshrines the actions of Our Lord,

This is a special day when He in form of bread’s adored.

And we recall what’s central to our faith and worshipping,

As all process around the church and raise our hearts to sing

Of Christ who in His Sacrament we constantly revere,

A mighty symbol of the faith to which we all adhere.

The Need for Night Tubes

It’s surprising how crowded the tube is at night,

At times when they should be a traveller’s delight;

Instead they are often full up to the brim

And journeys at midnight can be just as grim

As they are in the rush hour, when many must stand,

And numbers who squeeze in can get out of hand.

There’s really a need for the tube to still run,

So workers and those who’ve been out having fun,

Can travel much later and not have to rush

To make that late journey, in spite of the crush.

But now a year after they should have begun,

We’re getting some lines which are scheduled to run

On Fridays and Saturdays all through the night,

With other lines joining them later in sight.

The Value of a Common Culture

A country that gives up its cultural base

May very soon fin d itself having to face

People whose rootlessness means they don’t care,

With no real conception of having a share

In a group that encompasses all of the state,

For they now envisage a far different fate,

Where no-one is bound by a known common past

Which goes back for ages and all hope will last

Into the future, providing the glue

Which each generation will use to renew

A sense of belonging, of all being a part

Of one common culture, its music, its art,

Its history, its literature, way that they live,

What every person’s expected to give.

If this is destroyed a great many will find,

A stable society is soon left behind,

As everyone struggles to make their own way

With nothing to bind them to others who may

Share the same country, but not the same life –

That in the long-term may well lead to strife.

Four Weeks to Go

Four weeks exactly are left to decide

If we will continue the European ride,

Or whether we leave and proceed on our own,

With one thing being certain, we won’t be alone,

Whatever they say about losing our trade,

For it’s between people that most deals are made,

And that will continue outside the EU,

As every exporter will know to be true.

And leaving won’t cause all our wages to fall;

In fact if it makes any difference at all

It may be the reason they just slightly rise,

When Britons must take jobs they used to despise,

And won’t work for wages that used to be paid

To hosts of the poor-English speaking brigade.

And if we don’t have all the skills that we need,

It’s also certain, both sides should concede

That highly skilled workers still welcome will be

Whether we vote to remain or if we

Should vote to depart and to make our own way,

When it comes to the voting four weeks from today.

Changing Viewpoints

It would be nice to live in a land bought

Where all politicians made a stand

For what they believed, instead of as now

Changing their viewpoints by the hour.

So many change to suit the crowd,

Forever  saying clear and loud

What they think people want to hear,

Living always in constant fear

They’ll say something wrong and lose support,

Of groups that they know they could have bought

If only they’d picked up all the cues

And made them think they shared their views,

Ideas for Writing

Ideas flit endlessly to and fro,

Following me wherever I go,

Crying out to be written down,

Set in the country and set in the town;

Meant for adults, or babies or teens,

And all the many inbetweens;

Poems and plays and sketches too,

Covering subjects old and new;

Short, short stories and longer books –

Ideas are there wherever one looks,

Just waiting for someone – perhaps it’s me,

To write about all that they think and see.

We All Need More Time

We all could do with more hours in the day,

To give us more much needed time for play;

Work takes so much, and that cannot be changed,

Nor can it usually be re-arranged;

Travelling as well for most people is fixed,

As with all the hours of our work it is mixed.

There’s shopping and cooking and cleaning as well,

Which affect nearly all, wherever they dwell.

Then there is sleeping, which takes up a third

Of all of our hours, and can’t be deferred.

So most of our time has an organised form,

And that in the world of today is the norm.

But it would be nice to have every day,

A few extra hours for relaxing and play.

Over Sixty Years as Head of State

Most of the people around today

Are much too young to be able to say

It’s fixed in their memory when the Queen

Started her reign, and now is seen

As the greatest monarch that Britain has known,

With more than sixty years on the throne.

If you look at Europe it soon is clear

That no other head of state comes near

The length of time the Queen has reigned.

And the stability she’s maintained.

Going out to Dinner

A chance to go out to a friend’s place for dinner –

No need to cook or to risk getting thinner!

Just pick up a bottle of nice-sounding wine,

Often just judged by the label’s design,

For I am no wine buff – I really don’t know

For which of the hundreds of types I should go.

Dress up, of course, for I need no excuse

To put my best clothes and really look spruce.

Leave home quite early – I do hate being late,

So right on the dot I’ll be opening the gate.

And then just enjoy hours of talking and food,

Which doubtless as usual will also include

Plenty of laughter, discussions and chat

Spread between eating and drinking so that

The hours pass so quickly it’s hard to believe

The clock when it shows that it’s now time to leave.

We're Lucky

We’re lucky we don’t have disasters that plague other countries so much,

Like cyclones, tsunamis and earthquakes, heatwaves and similar such;

We don’t get the vast devastation which regularly seems to occur,

In some less fortunate nations, which nought can be done to deter;

No floods that span millions of acres, sweeping whole cities away,

No fires raging over the country, while they struggle to keep them at bay.

No, just minor temperature changes which keep us in talk all the time,

For the interest we take in the weather is something that’s almost sublime.

Heavy Rain on the Window Pane

I love the sound of heavy rain,

Pounding on the window pane;

Driven by a violent gale,

It does all in its path assail,

Blocking out my normal view,

As I no longer can see through

The lashing rain; but I don’t care,

For to me there’s beauty there.

Brexit

The arguments go back and forth – should be leave or should we stay,

And at the moment it appears the voting could go either way;

Suggestions fall from leaders lips that leaving could bring World War Three,

And “out” could easily result in bankers making moves to flee.

Others say that leaving would soon bring an end to all our trade

With all the EU countries, leaving us languishing in the shade,

Unable to export our goods, and possibly to import too

Without the payment of the duties that would then be quickly due.

Crime would rocket as our policemen couldn’t check with other states

Details of their well-known criminals and their just as crooked mates.

We’d have far less power and standing in the world were we alone,

An island off the coast of Europe, soon becoming weak, unknown.

There are also those who proffer quite the opposite points of view,

Those who think that we would gain so much by leaving the EU.

That we’d have the chance to govern Britain outside EU law

And their constant interference would affect us never more;

Trade in future would continue, just as it has always done,

As business firms deal with each other – that’s the way the world is run.

EU workers would remain here. and of course there’d still be some

Who’d arrive with skills we wanted,  just no large crowds more would come,

How the vote will go’s uncertain; one thing though is fairly clear,

We need some accurate facts and figures as the voting date draws near.

When Good Men do Nothing

It’s everywhere true that again and again

Wrong things continue for none will complain;

Everyone knows, but they turn a blind eye,

And let all the wrongdoing just pass them by.

Sometimes it may be too minor to care,

And they really do feel that it’s not their affair.

But all far often, it’s major and so

It should be reported, not just left to grow.

One thinks of the breaches of safety at work,

Where those in authority wantonly shirk

Their duty of care to the workers who may

To a serious injury later fall  prey.

Or hospitals where this is little hygiene,

With no efforts made to keep everything clean,

And patients get ill, and the death rate is high,

But most people tend to just turn a blind eye.

Or where there is fraud, that is on a large scale,

Where everyone knows, but for some reason fail,

Despite it being something they’d never defend,

To take any action to cause it to end.

So many people just live with the view,

That getting involved is not something they do.

They may not approve, but that’s not the same thing

As using their knowledge and efforts to bring,

Some changes about, so that things that are wrong,

Are stamped out and do not continue for long.

The Need for Buses

Those who are drivers so often can’t see

That buses are needed and always will be

For all of the people who don’t own a car,

For what seem short distances may be so far

That even the fittest will very soon baulk

At having no option each time but to walk.

It must be remembered by all for a start,

That stations are mostly some distance apart,

So it’s not just a matter of getting the train,

With such a short walk that no-one could complain;

But leaving the station quite often with dread

At the thought of the lonely long walk that’s ahead.

So buses are needed, all over the place

So those without vehicles do not have to face,

The problem of walking, perhaps late at night,

Carrying bags that soon feel far from light.

Freedom is Precious

Freedom is a precious thing we need to closely guard,

Refusing to allow the creep of more things that are barred.

Suggested changes may be small, just minor things as such,

And taken on their own might seem to hardly matter much;

But as our freedoms are reduced, each time a tiny mite,

We’re moving slowly to the point they disappear from sight.

Towards a state where no-one dares to even give a hint

Of what they’d really like to say, and papers daren’t print.

Where actions are very much curtailed, and secrets firmly banned,

With interference from the state controlling people’s lives,

And hardly any freedom as we knew it still survives.

It’s so important people work and strive in order they

May keep the precious freedoms that we still enjoy today.

Working to Pay for Hobbies

How many people really like the job they do all day,

Rather than just waiting for the hours to pass away?

Of course there are some jobs providing stimulus and fun,

Where no-one cannot wait until the working day is done;

But there are many thousands which employees only do

Because it’s simply that or find they’re in the jobless queue.

Their work is boring, badly paid, but still provides enough

That in their spare time they can be involved in other stuff

That really is of interest, and in which they then can find

The things that every person needs to stimulate the mind.

Out of Luck

Just when I’ve found some clothes that are right,

They’ve stopped producing them overnight.

I thought I’d just order some more of the same,

The size and style and also brand name.

But when I looked, they were not on the list

And now I’ve discovered that I have missed

All chance of buying the same thing once more

For it’s discontinued – oh what a bore!

Now We are Married

The future beckons; there’s so much to do

As now I start to share my life with you.

Before we married we had separate ways

Though we were close there still were many days

We did not meet, or text or even phone,

With your need to often work alone.

It did not matter for we knew our love,

Seemed as if sent to join us from above.

But now we’re married, we can plan ahead,

To a brighter, happier future lead,

By knowing we’re together from now on,

And both our days as singletons are gone.

Memories of Music in the Park

The sound of music drifting through the air

Reminds me of the times we used to share,

Those afternoons in summer in the park,

Which sometimes did not end until ‘twas dark,

Listening to the music from the stand,

Perhaps some singers or a lively band.

And when they all had finished for the day

We’d still remain and quietly listen to

Hours of music, songs both old and new.

Those happy days could not forever last,

And they are now just something in the past,

But I recall them every time I hear

The sound of music wafting sweet and clear

Across the park, the scene of happy hours

Within the distant past that still is ours.

Making a Pro-Life Britain

Education is the key

If Britain’s ever going to be

A pro-life country where each child

From conception’s always styled

A human being; no room for doubt,

Although they have just started out

On life’s long journey, which should lead

To ripe old age; with Britain’s creed

Of treating everyone the same

Though too small to have a name,

They can grow in peace and calm,

Knowing they are wished no harm.

So many people aren’t aware,

And at the moment do not care

That life is one continuous route,

On which being born is just the fruit

Of their sojourn in the womb,

A place of  safety,  not a tomb.

Against Euthanasia

Some countries have passed laws

Which allow anyone, child or adult,

Who is feeling depressed

To ask to be killed,

As a way to escape their misery.

No thought is given to the fact

That when someone is depressed,

They are not rational.

They cannot see things clearly

As all their thoughts are taken up

With how they feel,

Their utter despair,

Their feelings of hopelessness,

The vast black hole towards which they’re heading.

Life seems meaningless,

Pointless,

Unbearable.

Encouraged by the new laws to see death as a way out

Some will ask for it,

Without ever being in a fit state of mind

To know what they’re doing.,

And they will get it.

But depression is very common

And usually passes,

And people move on to new things.

But for those who have chosen death as a solution

There are no new things,

No future in which to achieve their dreams.

Wouldn’t it be better to see depression as what it is,

A temporary condition,

Which needs treating

Just like any other illness,

And to help those feeling suicidal

To see that life is worth living,

That they also are loved,

And wanted,

That they also have a future,

Which awaits them as soon as they’ve recovered.

For once a person is dead, there is no going back,

There is no second chance

No opportunity to put the past behind them

And move on

And do all the things they’d planned before they became ill.

The Daffodil Season is Over

Vases of daffodils graced all my rooms,

Those wonderful, cheerful and colourful blooms,

Bunches of which in the shops every year

Some time in February start to appear.

As one of the cheapest of flowers to be found

They’re perfect for buying and spreading around

Every room in the flat, so wherever one looks

On tables and sideboards and out of way nooks

All sorts of vases will quickly be seen

Topped with large splashes of yellow and green.

But after some weeks there at last comes the day

Usually some time as one moves into May

When daffodils cannot be found any more

In markets or sold in a much larger store.

They’re finished until once again they’ll appear

When February comes in the following year

What Being Pro-Life is About

Being pro-life is all about

Getting the pro-life message out.

No more standing quietly by

With just the faintest murmuring sigh

At what pro-choicers have to say,

But make an effort every day

To tell the truth, help make it known,

To everyone, not you alone

If all pro-lifers took a stand

Proclaiming daily throughout the land

That unborn children are human too,

And so to them is also due

The rights belonging to everyone

Including the unborn daughter or son.

A Government's Duty

A government’s duty, make no mistake

Is very simply to undertake

To provide for the safety of all who live

Within its borders, and to give

All its attention to making sure

Their people feel they are secure

In every way, so they’ve no fear

Disaster may be lurking near.

A Failing Church

A church where everyone sits apart

May often lack a beating heart;

There may be a few who line the pews

Of varying shades of belief and views,

Who see themselves as being the church,

But none of them are in active search

To deepen their faith, much less begin

To sally forth and bring others in.

They want their church to always stay

Just as it is, for that is the way

They like it to be, with just a few

Always sitting just one to a pew.

If there’s no-one who will strive

To change the culture and keep it alive

Eventually as the years pass by

Attendance will fall and it may die.

Painting the Windows

Winter’s not the time to paint

The windows for it well might rain,

Before the paint has fully dried,

Making your efforts all in vain.

But summer is too nice to spend

Hours indoors with paint and brush

Doing a job which needs some care

And which you really shouldn’t rush.

So it’s a job that tends to be

Put off until another day,

Hoping vaguely that in time

The need to paint might go away.

More Good News Needed

Why can’t there be just a little bit more

Of news about all of the good things in store

For people now living and looking ahead,

Who might like to hear of some good things instead

Of the usual plethora of everything bad,

Which only contributes to make them more sad.

The Advantages of Music to Children

Music can provide a chance

For quiet, shy children to advance

In confidence and sense of worth,

As singing over time gives birth

To skills they never knew they had,

So that later they’ll be glad

The joined a choir which brought them out

And showed them what life’s all abut,

Being a part of bigger things,

With all the love and joy that brings.

Summer is Better

When warmer, longer days arrive

Everyone feels more live;

Gone is winter’s dismal cold

With summer weather taking hold;

And bringing once again the light

Extending up til late at night.

Summer clothes can now replace

The woollies that all must embrace

To counter winter’s damp and chill

Which are enough to make one ill.

But now that summer-time is here,

Nearly all feel full of cheer,

Ready to enjoy the days,

Strengthened by the sun’s warm rays.

Unfortunately, the time will come

When once again, days long and glum

Will be a part of people’s lives

For winter every year arrives.

Diversity

Many think diversity’s an excellent idea,

But though it may sometimes be good, it can induce much fear,

For people like to mix with those with whom they feel at ease,

Knowing they can be themselves and say whate’er they please.

Confident their values will be shared by all around,

Who have a common culture, through which they all are bound.

But when they’re faced with people whom they really feel they must

Be wary of, because unsure how far they can them trust,

Uneasiness, distrust and fear can very quickly start

Within a group’s dynamics, to play a major part,

As people tend to gravitate instinctively to where

They have a chance to be with those with whom they largely share

A common way of life and thought, for usually one finds

That is the glue that everywhere a group together binds.

Differing Attitudes

Some religions recommend

Their followers should just defend

Their own beliefs when they’re attached,

By proclaiming every fact

So others know what they believe,

And thereby hope they can achieve

An understanding which will draw

Those people to discover more.

Though they’re certain they are right

They do not see the need to fight

Or use brutality to force

Other people to endorse

Their way of life and faith in God,

To them compulsion would seem odd.

Some other faiths think differently,

As everyone today can see,

As every type of force is used,

With people murdered and abused

Appalling, to make them change

And their historic faith exchange

For something which they can’t accept,

An alien culture which has swept

Though their land and tried to force

All other groups to change their course,

For they see their sacred role

Is working for their final goal

Which by violence they’ll achieve

Of making all the world believe

In the precepts they proclaim,

For world conversion is their aim.