Six Days since Brexit

It’s six days since BREXIT; the UK’s still here,

And one gets the feeling there’s little to fear;

Some people may rant and proclaim it’s all doom,

And all should be filled with depression and gloom;

But those of us looking with eyes open wide,

See signs which make us look forward with pride;

New trading agreements, replacing the old,

Bringing the Commonwealth back in the fold;

Joining the Nordics more closely than now;

No-one in export would ever avow

That people won’t trade with us now that we’ve said

We’d rather in future not be Brussels led.

The Poles will all stay here as long as they want;

We’ll have with the EU a friendly détente;

Our fishermen likely will prosper once more,

Though one can’t be certain just what is in store;

Laws can be passed which will profit just us,

And we will be free from a great deal of fuss

Involved in ensuring we always comply

With things set by Brussels we’d rather pass by;

With no need each year to send vast sums abroad

We may find in future that we can afford

A better health service, and help for the poor,

Which many might think has a lot of allure.

Of course there’s uncertainty with something new,

But those who see only doom haven’t a clue

For there is no chance that Great Britain will drown,

But rather will flourish, once things settle down.

Victorian Drains

It may be summer, but still it rains,

Which affects the ancient drains,

Causing them to overflow,

From water rising from below.

It former times the drains were fine,

Built to an adequate design

To cope with the much smaller use

That fewer people would produce.

But now today, they cannot cope,

And in the future cannot hope

To deal with all the increased load,

That on them is now bestowed.

They need renewing, so that they

Can meet the needs of drains today.

In-Work Benefits

There’s something quite wrong when it’s clearly the case

That minus their benefits, millions would face

A perilous life, where they could not afford

The tiniest room; it’s so often ignored

Just how many people, who’s work is low paid,

Could not exist without much Government aid.

And that is so wrong; all people who work

In full-time employment, with no thought to shirk,

Shouldn’t have to claim benefits, so they can live;

Their wages should be on a level to give

Enough for a reasonable standard of life

For those who are married with children and wife.

Food may be cheap, but rents are so high,

Millions of people just couldn’t get by

Without claiming benefits, often quite large,

To pay to their landlords who quite often charge

More than the total amount that they earn;

So claiming is something huge numbers can’t spurn.

In addition to rent there are other large bills,

Which still must be paid by all those with low skills.

Council Tax, Water Rates, heating and fares,

Replacement equipment and cost of repairs;

And while there are benefits, firms can all say,

There’s really no need that they offer more pay,

For if all their workers can’t live on that rate,

They simply can go and apply to the state

To give them the money they certainly need;

Which isn’t desirable, most would concede.

It would be much better if workers were paid

Sufficient to live on without Government aid.

What Happens Now?

The people have spoken; so what happens now?

Is it totally certain the government will bow

To the will of the people, who’ve voted to leave,

Or will many feel they’ve a right to believe

That most people’s knowledge is not up to speed

And what all those voters now desperately need

Is the chance to reflect and to learn more about

All of the problems there’ll be if we’re out.

But maybe they’re wrong, and the people knew well

What they were voting for; that time will tell;

But MPs should realise they shouldn’t ignore

Great swathes of the countryside’s views any more.

Will Britain be just the First?

Will Britain perhaps be just the first

Of many states who feel they’re immersed        

In the grip of a tyrant that’s Brussels based,

With the result they find themselves faced

With loss of sovereignty, which they dislike

And so they will decide to strike

A blow for freedom, and vote to leave

The EU dream, that they’ve come to believe

Is not about trade, but a super-state

With rule from Brussels being their fate.

With Britain having voted out,

It seems quite likely, without a doubt

That other states will start to think,

That they might be better breaking the link

With the ever-encroaching Brussels and so

Have a vote, and vote to go.

And if it happens there may be more,

Who feel there’s a better future in store

If they opt out, and leave the EU,

Which, of course, they’re entitled to do.

Divorce from the EU

A time of turbulence seems to be

On the horizon, now that we

Have voted to move from the EU scene,

Although there may be years between

The vote and the actual time of divorce

For there’s a lot to do of course

Before it’s final, and things return

To something normal; meanwhile we’ll learn

As days go by how much will change

As politicians seek to arrange

An orderly exit, one which will

As far as possible, fulfil

The need for still remaining friends,

After the EU treaty ends.

Only a wise, all-seeing sage

Could make predictions at this stage,

About events in years ahead;

All that most can do instead

Is look at the facts and try to guess

Those most relevant, and address

Where they might lead in EU terms,

What contradicts and what confirms.

And always there needs to be kept in mind

That in the future one may find

That the whole great edifice may fall,

So there is no EU at all.

Conversion

When first I knew the love that you

Bestow on all who walk your way

My life was changed and from then on,

Your guiding light lit up each day;

No longer was I searching for

The meaning of this life on earth,

As there had entered in my soul

A knowledge of a second birth.

That lead me to a different life,

One that is focussed all on you,

From whom I gain so much each day

To whom my adoration’s due.

Taking down the Rubbish

Twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays, last thing at night and just before bed,

There is a job nearly all must partake in, one I have come just so slightly to dread;

It’s sorting the rubbish and bagging the items, making up two fairly large plastic bags,

One for recycling paper, plastics and metals, the other for items from food scraps to rags.

When they’ve been filled and the tops firmly knotted, down all the stairs they then both have to go  

To join all the other bags patiently waiting out on the pavement three storeys below,

Where they will sit overnight until morning, when very early the dustmen will come,

To pick up the rubbish from all of the houses, leaving behind, it is hoped, not a crumb.

Left or Right

Most parties do not neatly fit

Into one side, but are often split

Between what’s thought as left and right,

For it should never be lost to sight

That all descriptions concentrate

On what they love or what they hate;

So those wanting wages to quickly rise

Often may be praised to the skies

By left wing groups who fail to see

On how many topics they disagree.

“Stop immigration” might seem right wing,

But socialist workers often cling

To the old idea that migrants will

Take all the jobs that require no skill.

Benefit cuts might well be seen

As being from the right, and very mean,

But communist countries on the left

Often saw idleness as theft.

Many people would agree

That nationalism’s supposed to be

A right wing leaning, but one can find

Socialist countries so aligned.

Although it might seem slightly bizarre

The truth is political parties are

A mixture of policies left and right,

Rather than being either black or white.

Walking the LOOP

Briskly walking in a group,

Covering miles of the London LOOP;

Seeing places before unseen,

Becoming conscious of just how green

Much of London is in spring;

A sight to which we all can cling

When winter comes and everywhere

Most of the trees again are bare.

A hundred and fifty miles in length,

It could be said its greatest strength,

Is that it’s mostly on the flat,

So one can walk it, knowing that

There won’t be lots of hilly parts,

That one must finish if one starts.

Its footpaths run along canals,

On river banks and shady dells;

Through grassy meadows, woods and fields,

And every stretch of path reveals

Something new, that’s worth a look

In open space or shady nook.

One can walk it all year round,

And every time there will be found

Something new to catch one’s eye

When stopping or just passing by.

Murder of a Politician

It’s sad when an innocent woman is killed,

That the dreams of an unbalanced mind be fulfilled;

It may be the case that he targeted her,

His aims, on the other hand, possibly were

Just to attack, and it turned out that she

Was the one that was there, and not you or me.

We don’t know at present the whys of the crime,

Though these will emerge there’s no doubt in due time,

Political? Maybe, but then maybe not,

For we’re in the dark still regarding just what

Was driving his brain to commit an attack,

On an innocent woman who couldn’t fight back.

Someone who only desired to do good,

And who in the twenty-first century should

Have been able to walk through the streets without fear

That a dangerous attacker might one day appear;

But until all the facts have come into the light

And the true explanation is then within sight       ,

The best thing to do is to just wait and pray

For her husband and children on their tragic day.

The Artist in Me

The artist in me wants to spend

Practically the whole weekend

Painting, writing, sketching too

Creatung ever more things new.

Reality though often means

I’ve much to do behind the scenes;

Shopping, cleaning, cooking meals;

All that helps to oil the wheels

Within a home and keep the peace –

Work I know will never cease;

And so I can’t devote long hours

Top painting scenes or drawing flowers,

But as I have long-since found

They must be fitted in around

All the things that must be done,

If a home’s to be well-run.

The Happy Tramp

Has anyone stopped to consider that some tramps might prefer,

Rather than move to a house or flat, to stay just as they were;

Free from all interference, except when they’re asked to move on,       

Spending a day in a district, and then the next day being gone.

Knowing well all the good places where there’s a chance of a bed,

As well as some nice warm corners in which to lay their head;

All the best places to scavenge to get three meals a day,

So they are never too desperate to keep hunger pains at bay;

Then there’s the friendships with others, who share in their life on the road,

Who also have the distinction of being of no fixed abode.

Exempt from all of the worries that go with a modern life,

The endless petty niggles, and sometimes more serious strife;.

No need to think of gas bills, or telephone charges to pay,

And all of the rates and taxes, which won’t ever go away.

The constant hassle of working, and all of the stress that entails,

The need to deal with officials, if the job-hunting effort fails;

They much prefer independence, just living their life as it comes,

With no-one to dictate the lifestyle they happily share with their chums.

Fit Active Ageing

When a person’s just fifty they’re really still young,

And haven’t yet stepped on the very first rung

Of the ladder that starts when a person is old –

They’re not even close to the elderly fold.

At sixty they’re maybe approaching the time

When they can start thinking one day they must climb

On the very first step of the journey which leads

To a life which in general more slowly proceeds.

At seventy they may be still feeling fine,

And confident old age is far down the line.

At eighty as well, many people don’t feel

Being thought of as elderly’s part of the deal.

At ninety, perhaps, they might want to slow down.

But still don’t like wearing the elderly crown.

That’s for the old, of a hundred or more,

And they’ve got another ten years left in store.

The Need to Wait

Whenever there’s an incident it’s better that we seek

To find out what the facts are, before we start to speak;

So often first impressions are a long way from the truth,

And speaking without thinking is a well-known sign of youth,

And can sometimes cause trouble, as some people may react

To what is merely guesswork, but which they assume is fact.

It’s better to delay a speech, until we’re more informed,

By which time our initial thoughts may well have been transformed.

Too many people rush to give their thoughts without a clue

About the wider picture than’s initially in view;

It happens all the time as people want an instant quote

To interest their listeners and keep news programmes afloat.

But it often would seem better to just wait a while and see

And then present a reasoned view, whatever that might be.

A Pick-Up Drink Needed

A cup of coffee’s what I need

To bring my brain cells up to speed;

Too long have I been sitting here,

And hoping ideas would appear,

But nothing’s happened, so I think

What I need is a pick-up drink,

A cup of coffee, freshly brewed,

So my brain will be renewed.

Ninety Years

Ninety years and still at work;

The Queen was never one to shirk,

Since she ascended on the throne,

The duties that are hers alone.

Her workload still is more than most

Of half her age could really boast

That they could cover, all the while

Keeping a calm, unhurried smile.

Her life has witnessed so much change

As she’s dealt with such a range

Of different people, different ways,

Which have occupied her days.

At a time when nearly all,

Have answered their retirement call,           

Feeling that they’re now too old

To be within the working fold,

The Queen goes on just as before,

Fulfilling every job and chore

That go with her being Head of State;

Her duties there will not abate

But will go on, it is quite clear      

Though she gets older every year.

Heads of State in other lands,

Though they may have many fans,

Usually come and go quite soon;

Her many years as Queen are strewn

With leaders who were passing through,

And soon replaced by someone new.

But she goes on, and let’s hope we

In ten years’ time are here to see

Her hundredth birthday – what a date,

For our marvellous Head of State!

Holidays

A welcome escape from the daily grind,

A time when work is left behind,

And one has the chance to go away

And just enjoy every hour of the day.

No need to rush to get in on time,

And getting up late is for once not a crime;

No hassled commute in an over-packed train –

Both in the morning and then home again;

No need to rush to ensure the work’s done,

Instead if one wants to, just laze in the sun;

A time to relax, keeping stress levels low,

Even ignoring how fast time will go.

The Result of the Referendum

The referendum’s getting nearer – have the pollsters got it right?

Will it be, as they’re predicting, very much a close-run fight?

But with those “Remain In” voters  getting just a fraction more

Support from all the country’s voters, giving them a final score

Which means that Britain stays in Europe, now until the end of time,

Something that with loads of people and their many friends would chime.

But it could be they’re mistaken, and the “Leave” share will come through

With that longed-for higher figure, giving first place in the queue;

What will happen if the counting shows the “Leave” vote well ahead,

Something many politicians if they’re honest really dread?

Only time will show the answer; meanwhile we must wait and see,

When the votes have all been counted, what the end result will be.

Changing Fashions

Fashions come and fashions go

As modern women all will know;

Last year’s length’s completely changed

And styles completely re-arranged.

As newer fashions now appear,

Quite different from the ones last year.

But through you’ve gone and bought some more,

Replacing those you wore before,

If you’ve room you really should

Keep all those that are still good,

For fashions change and time will come

When new designers will succumb

To resurrecting those old styles,

And in your wardrobe you’ll have piles

Of what’s become the latest trend,

And all without the need to spend

A fortune in a new campaign,

To wear the latest once again.

Loss of Freedom of Speech

The way things are going the time will soon come

When people who think will be forced to be dumb,

And not say aloud what they know to be true,

If a government feels that they don’t like their view

On a whole range of topics, which stretch very wide,

And the government takes on itself to decide

What people can say, or can write in the press,

So thinkers must operate under duress,

Omitting to say what they really believe,

While hating the series of lies they must weave.

But freedom of speech has been part of the law

Of most modern countries for ages before

The start of the twenty-first century change,

When topics forbidden can now often range

From religion to politics, people and race,

So many subjects don’t now have a place

For open discussion, with sharing of views,

Leaving their hearers to listen and choose

What they feel’s right from the things they have heard,

Without all the arguments forcefully blurred

By fairly strict censorship, which always seeks

To curtail the freedom of a thinker who speaks.

Tackling Stress through Self-Employment

What we need is much less stress

Caused by constant busyness

With things outside our own control;

It really needs to be our goal

To be in charge of what we do,

Something that will be quite new

To all who slave at others’ call,

With little choice, or none at all,

In how they organise their days,

Just doing what the boss man says,

Often over-worked but still,

Feeling they can’t leave the mill,

Forgetting that there still survives

A group who have less stressful live,

Who’ve decided that for them,

Self-employment is a gem;

Their income may not be as large,

But it means that they’re in charge.

Achieving Goals

Time is swiftly moving on

And soon the year will be half gone;

And when you look at where you are,

What have you achieved so far?

Some can say they’ve done a lot,

Filled in every intended slot.

Others may have done a bit,

As through each day they quickly flit;

But too many people will have to say

All their time’s been frittered away,

Just idly living without an aim,

With every passing day the same.

The Post

Some older people say the postman never brings them any mail,

So why is it that in the mornings, almost daily, without fail,

I receive a pile of letters, not just bills but other things

Of many varied shapes and sizes, which my friendly postman brings?

Letters from old friends and family, those to whom an email still

Remains a strange and modern mystery, and a quite un-needed skill.

Catalogues from shops I’ve bought from, often ages in the past,

Hoping that another order might be sent their way at last.

Charities I once supported, sending details of their work,

With requests for further monies, also in the pile might lurk.

Various types of information, that’s produced by local groups

Letting people know about things, also through my front-door troupes.

Missives from those institutions which I actively support,

Charities whose work may range from babies’ welfare through to sport.

There is rarely any morning when there’s nothing in the post,

And from what the postman’s carrying, I receive the same as most.

Choice of Shoes

If one has many pairs of shoes

It’s often difficult to choose

The pair one feels would look the best,

As opposed to all the rest.

Should they match the skirt or blouse?

Or would a different shade arouse

Feelings one was very chic,

Which is something women seek.

Flats or heels – it all depends

Where one’s destination ends.

Heels are always very smart,

And of course they play a part

In giving women extra height,

So they’re more in people’s sight,

But as every woman knows,

They aren’t kind to knees and toes.

Flats are better if one must

Walk a lot, and isn’t fussed

About not looking quite so tall,

Especially if one is quite small.

Buckled, laced or just slip-on,

Or sandals now that winter’s gone;

It is so hard to choose a pair,

When there’s dozens sitting there.

So I think that I will make

A quick decision and just take

The nearest pair which looks okay

With my outfit for today.

Lying Politicians

We’re all aware that politicians often lie to get our vote,

Whatever are their thoughts in private, they put on a different coat,

When they’re out among the public, especially in election year,

Saying what they think the people in the country want to hear.

That’s the way to catch the voters, pretending that they share their views,

Hoping when it comes to voting, it is they whom they will choose.

Only afterwards they’ll discover, that their politician’s lied,

And their vote has gone to someone who has views they can’t abide,

And who’ll forget what he has promised once he has been voted in,

And his several years in office then is ready to begin.

The Importance of Free Speech

Very important is freedom of speech,

The right of all to proclaim and teach

The truth, however it may annoy,

Some of the people, who do not enjoy

The truth being told, and would prefer

That writers and artists would defer

To what they want, which is the right

To keep all criticism out of sight.

In many states at the present time,

To mock their leader’s  a serious crime,

Beside which many begin to pale,

With threats of a longish spell in gaol.

Many leaders are not keen

On truth being told, for that might mean

Their grubby lives and ways laid bare,

For they are all too well aware

Of just how much they have to hide,

To keep the people on their side.

But everywhere there’ll always be

Writers working to be free

And in their souls they truly long

To let the world know what is wrong.