A better Life

The world’s in somewhat of a mess,

And everyone is under stress;

Nothing’s certain any more,

No-one knows just what’s in store.

Increasing differences in wealth

Are not good for people’s health;

How much better it would be

If everyone on earth were free

To live their lives without the stress,

Which currently brings such distress.

Aron's Now Two

Aron’s now two, and a real little boy,

For most of the time bubbling over with joy;

Running and tumbling, demanding that all

Sit there and watch him get up from each fall;

Endlessly asking for people to play,

And join in his antics for hours every day;

Discovering mischief just like a real pro,

Pretending he can’t understand the word “No.”.

Starting to talk, but as yet can’t say much,

With words that come out sounding like double Dutch;

Likes lots of action, with plenty of noise,

Trumpets and drums are his most favoured toys.

He’s just what’s expected now he has reached two,

And is constantly seeking out things that are new.

Art versus Wealth

Those who aren’t creative often fail to understand

That those who are artistic often live in a different land;

They seek for different things in  life, and mostly you will find

They rarely spend their days and nights with money on their mind.

Some people just want riches, and their never-ending aim

Is finding ways of gaining ever greater wealth and fame.

Not for them the hours alone, producing works of art,

Where money’s not the motive, rather something in the heart.

Who carry on because they must, and hope they’ll make a sale,

Knowing that success is rare, and they will often fail.

History is full of those who never gained success,

Despite their many years of toil, and some who’d never guess

They’d later be quite famous, though they wouldn’t live to know,

As after they had long been dead, their fame began to grow.

Working down the Mines

When men went down the mines each day

Their lives more quickly passed away

Than did the lives of those who went

Off to offices, where they spent

Their hours in far less arduous work,

And also could enjoy the perk                                                                

Of clean, fresh air, without the dust

That every miner daily must

Endure while he’s each morning bound

To make his way far underground.

Things, of course, are better now,

But still one can’t the mines endow

With everything that other see

Their place of work should always be.

Children's Lack of Freedom

Children in England are now so constrained,

All sense of adventure from them has been drained;

They can’t spend their days out of doors on their own,

And never till adult be just left alone.

No chance to explore and to learn to be wise,

And cope with all problems that may well arise;

No chance to play with no adult in tow,

And choose what to do, and as well where to go;

No chance to create a world where make-believe,

Forms quite a large part of the life that they weave;

No chance to run free and to make their own fun,

Enjoying the hours spent outside in the sun;

Instead they’re hunched over computers or phones,

All doing the same, like a series of clones;

Not growing in strength as they daily explore

The world all around them and learn more and more.

Greedy People

So much trouble’s caused by greed,

With people feeling that they need

To buy a never-ending list

Of goods, just so they can exist.

And then want more and more each day

As greediness comes into play,

And though to some it might seem odd,

Money soon becomes their god.

They worship it and quickly find,
It’s never absent from their mind.

It’s not they need such endless wealth

To maintain their life and health;

No, they just hanker for the things

That endless goods and money brings.       

And as their love of money grows

They often trample over those        

Who aren’t as greedy, and believe

That all should give, not just receive.

Unfortunately, there’ll always be

Some people who just cannot see

How nasty their behaviour seems

To people who have other dreams,

Than gaining all the wealth they can

From when their earthly life began.            

Love's Magic

Anywhere, anytime, love can appear

With no-one aware that it’s lurking quite near;

But two people meet and they instantly feel

The sparkly between them is definitely real.

One moment there’s nothing, and then there’s a change

As love works its magic and brings them in range

Of someone with whom there’s an instant rapport,

And love has achieved its objective once more.

Preventing Crime

Two or more teenagers having a strop,

Another murder – when will it stop?

Far too many now carry knives,

Presenting a danger to others’ lives.

Maybe it’s time to say “Enough”

To those who think that they are tough,

And as they often display a short fuse,

All weapons carried, they’re likely to use.

So perhaps we should firmly enforce a ban,

And stop and search any girl or man

Who might be carrying a knife or gun

Or other weapon, to harm anyone.

By acting and stopping them in advance

Potential attackers won’t have the chance

To use the weapons they’ll have lost,

And thus reduce the human cost

Of regular murders among our youth,

And inculcating the well-known truth

Life will always be much more fun

Without the presence of knife or gun.

Going out for a Meal

Sometimes it’s good to go out for a meal,

And even more so if through some special deal

It’s not too expensive, for if one is frank,

It’s nice if one knows that it won’t break the bank.

For though food is cheap if you make it at home,

It can be expensive if you choose to roam

Among the nice restaurants, whose menus display

Of strange sounding foods an amazing array.

Of course there are places where food is quite cheap,

In contrast to those where the prices are steep,

But they are in general the ones which will serve

The plainest of dishes, without any verve.

The New President's now in Office

The US has inaugurated new boy Donald Trump,,

And many who opposed him have come down with quite a bump;

They didn’t really think that he would make in the end,

But now that he’s in office they no longer can pretend,

That he was not elected in a fair and honest vote,

And justice would ensure that he away from them would float.

But he is now ensconced within the White House for a term,

Assuming he’s not taken off by some untimely germ;

And we will have to wait and see just what the future holds,

As every change that he’s proposed throughout the years unfolds.

No Need to be Lonely if You've got a Freedom Pass

Complaints of loneliness in London really are a farce,

If you’re an old age pensioner and have your Freedom Pass,

For you can travel anywhere on buses or on trains,

No need to spend your time at home, not matter if it rains.

Even if you pass the time just going for a ride,

You often have the chance to chat to those you sit beside.

And you can travel miles for free to visit all your friends,

And for neglect in working years can quickly make amends.

There’s lots that’s free to go to, so it needn’t cost a bean;

Every day you want to you can have a change of scene.

And you can talk to everyone you meet along the way,

As you travel here and there by bus or train each day.

And then of course you can invite your friends along to tea,

Knowing that their journey there is now completely free.

And there are clubs that you can join, from east to furthest west,

Enjoying every minute till you really need a rest.

It needs a little effort, but it really is worthwhile,

And you will very quickly find that going out’s your style.

Incompetent Managers

One of the problems that many firms face,

Is people moved up to a much higher base

Than their knowledge and talents would warrant they go,

Where they are incompetent, hopeless and slow.

There may have been reasons why they climbed the pole

Ending up gaining a more senior role

Than they have deserved, but the fact still remains,

There’s someone unsuitable holding the reins.

But they’re hard to get rid of once they are there,

Even if they’re the whole company’s despair,

Unless they do something which warrants the sack,

But many of them have developed the knack

Of just working quietly, not making a splash,

And not doing anything hasty or rash.

Bouncing Back

Setbacks can occur to anyone,

When life becomes devoid of any sun,

And suddenly a future that was bright,

Is now in darkness and bereft of light.

But often this has for its aftermath

A new beginning and a change of path,

As reaching out with heart and soul and mind,

All the former life is left behind,

And things are better than they would have been

Without the unexpected change of scene.

Spring Sun

Soft gentle sunshine which floats lightly down,

Bringing its warmth to both country and town;

Spreading an essence it only can give,

Making the world feel a good place to live.

No longer still tinged with a hard winter’s cold,

But the heat of the summer still yet to take hold’

The sun of the spring is the one in between

The one that’s to come and the one that’s just been

Sudden death

One day she was there, and the next she was gone,

And it’s hard to accept that she now has moved on

From a life in this world full of vigour and fun,

Expected to have many years still to run.

But though it might seem so unjust and unfair,

Things like that happen, though thankfully rare.

New Ways to Find a Job

The job market’s changed, though not by design,

It’s simply that everyone now looks online

Whenever they’re looking to go somewhere new,

Whether they’re farmers or air cabin crew.

The first place they look is an internet site,

Where in a few seconds their eyes will alight

On hundreds of jobs from which they can choose,

Or apply for them all, for they’ve nothing to lose

Except for the time that it takes to complete

Online applications, and still stay upbeat.

One used to find something quite often by dint,

Of trawling through pages and pages of print,

Ticking off jobs that they felt they could do

Whenever they wanted to go somewhere new,

And then writing letters, quite often by hand,

Giving the details the firm might demand.

Or else spending hours on the phone to arrange

Interview dates, if they wanted a change.

Now it’s so different and quicker by far,

And few people realise how lucky they are.

Creating Things of Beauty

Creating things of beauty is a thing I like to do,

Whether it’s a living room that I’ve arranged anew,

A painting of a country scene in many shades of green,

Putting down on paper something beautiful I’ve seen.

An outfit I’ve designed and made with stylishness in mind,

Using for materials the finest I could find.

Arranging pretty bowls of flowers to decorate a room,

Ensuring that I’ve made the best of every leaf and bloom.

Embroidering a tablecloth with multi silken threads,

From shades of palest cream right through to vivid greens and reds.

A garden full of many flowers, all set in special rows,

That later will display a scene through which their beauty flows.

There really are so many things which can become the means

To create4 a work of art through which its beauty streams.

The New President

On Friday the US will finally see

A shiny new President, who’s known to be

Outspoken, outrageous, with many ideas

Which haven’t much helped him to calm people’s fears

That here is a man who will bring in much change,

Some of it hated, and some of it strange.

Who’s started by sacking a number of men,

Who’d thought they’d served faithfully up until then,

But now find that they’ve been removed form their roles

As part of his plans for achieving his goals.

None can be certain what now lies in store,

When the new President walks through the door

Of the White House, where he’ll be for 4 years to come,

A fact that is seen as disastrous by some,

Who hate all he stands for so much that they wept;

But this coming Friday, will have to accept

That he’s the new President, having received

The votes of the people, though they might be grieved.

Need for Peace

The world’s in desperate need of peace,

For all the wars and hate to cease;

For everyone to change their ways,

And evil thoughts from hearts erase,

Replacing them with views of life

Where there’s no place for violent strife.

For men could be much happier if

Nowhere was there the slightest whiff

Of anger, hatred, evil minds

Which in so many lands one finds

When one looks at the world today

And sees where evil still holds sway.

Instant Love

Maybe it was how she walked,

Or maybe it was how she talked,

Or how her dark hair softly fell

Perhaps her wafting floral smell,

Her smiling face, or twinkling eyes;

The rest of us can just surmise,

But he was suddenly aflame,

And never after quite the same,

As true love began to stir,

And all his mind was fixed on her,

Poor Little Trains and Buses

I takes but little to disrupt the trains and buses now,

As to the slightest problems found they very quickly bow.

Too hot a day will quickly cause some trains to cease to run,

As if the poor things cannot stand a normal English sun.

Another problem that can stop a sturdy English train,

Which might seem quite surprising, is a different sort of rain.

They also find they’ve problems with a different type of snow –

Even just a dusting can cause endless scenes of woe.

Leaves which from deciduous trees each year in autumn drop

Can be the cause of stressed out trains just coming to a stop.

Not only trains, but buses too, are not averse to flinch

At running when the snow in London reaches half and inch.

It really is pathetic when our weather’s fairly mild,

Our transport’s more affected than in countries where it’s wild.

Danger of Floods

Floods can sometimes be a threat to those who live beside the beach,

When their houses, usually safe, still lie within a high tide’s reach;

Tremendous storms can bring about the water crashing on the shore,

Rolling up across the front, accompanied by the wind’s loud roar.

When a red alert is issued all that owners then can do,

Is leave and hope the storm, abating, will reduce the high tide too.

Others living by a river also face the risk that they

Could find their homes are under water after heavy rains one day.

Not All Babies are Perfect

The birth of a baby can never be bad,

But sometimes the outcome can be slightly sad;

Instead of a healthy and beautiful child,

It’s born with a defect, which varies from mild

To very severe, and will likely require

A lifetime of care, so its future looks dire.

But they are still human, with souls from above,

And just a deserving of nurture and love.

The Latest Scandal

 Another scandal fills the news

As there are published someone’s views

That Mr. trump has – listen, ahoy,

Been a rather naughty boy,

Indulging in an illicit whirl

With an unknown Russian girl.

But even if the story’s true,

One just can’t blackmail someone who

Doesn’t worry what people think,

And wouldn’t care about a link

To some romantic Russian tryst

Being part of an assumed past list.

Women and Decision Making

Maybe there’s a need for women in positions where they can

Influence decision-making, casting eyes on every plan

With potential to bring problems into other people’s lives,

For it’s from unthought-out rulings, much unhappiness derives.

Women often think more clearly, well aware what they decide,

Never should be on the basis of their arrogance and pride.

Two Flats

Some flats have an air of welcome, everything about them says

They’re the scene of joy and gladness, witnesses to happy days.

There’s an air of peace and calmness, which pervades the atmosphere,

So that everyone who enters feels there is contentment here.

Other flats are cold and cheerless, lacking any thing which would

Indicate they are the sit of innate kindliness and good;

It’s not the temperature is lower, rather it’s the lack of care,

For the world and other people, that is surely missing there.

Travelling in Fog

A blanket of fog lies all over the land,

Obscuring the buildings, save those near at hand.

No chance to admire all the landscapes we pass,

The fields within view are incredibly sparse.

Everything’s lost in a mass of pure white,

With none of the sun’s golden rays within sight.

and yet there’s a beauty which can’t be denied,

In a dense fog which covers the whole countryside.

The First Week of the New Year

A week of the New Year’s just passed by,

And I’m amazed just how the days fly,

With never sufficient hours per day

To let most people both work and play.

Most lives proceed at a frantic pace,

Where work takes up the major space

Around which they must find the time,

As up the corporate ladder they climb,

To run a home and family too,

Keep up their hobbies, learn something new,

Play their part in the neighbourhood,

Allocate time for doing good.

Life is so busy; for many it’s rare

To sit and relax, for they’ve no time to spare.

Stress Today

People might be much more happy if they could avoid the stress

That’s become a part of living, though there should be less and less,

For today we’re so much richer; food is plentiful and cheap;

Housing, too, is so much better, though rents can be rather steep.

Illness now is not the worry that it could be in the past,

When the cost of any treatment for the poor could be too vast.

Unemployment’s not the problem that it always used to be –

It’s a source of stress and worry of which people now are free.

But today much stress arises not from economic need,

But the pace of life in general and the pressure to succeed,

Which today in many people has a very bad effect,

Making them so much less happy than at first one might expect.

Lengthening Days

Though the days are getting colder, they are lengthening each day

By some minutes morn and evening, til midsummer comes out way;

Though it’s hard at first to notice there is light for longer now,

Soon it will become apparent, as the hours to nature bow,

With dark evenings and mornings being replaced by shining sun,

And it is again quite clear, the move to summer has begun.

Opus Anglicanum at the V & A

Opus Anglicanum is a fabulous display

Currently appearing at the well-known V & A,

Featuring embroidery from medieval times,

With levels of the beauty which for every artist chimes.

The stitching is amazing, and the skills required immense,

For these items can be called great works in every sense.

Produced by men and women, for the most part for the church,

They’ve been brought together via a comprehensive search

In abbeys and museums, in the UK and abroad,

Till they all together formed a veritable hoard

Of quite exquisite chasubles and copes from days long past,

All produced in London, which were fortunate to last

Up until the present, though with signs of wear and tear

Which after seven hundred years would obviously be there.

One thing on which all visitors would certainly concur,

Is just how talented and skilled those ancient workers were.