The Call to Create

For many people it’s their fate

That they must constantly create

New paintings which express their views,

On something that is in the news;

New poems where they can portray,

The changing scenes from day to day;

Sculptures through which they can send

A message on a current trend;

Novels that have much to say

About society today;

Children’s books which aim to show

A world surrounded by a glow;

Plays whose content will enthral

And entertain both one and all;

Photographs that bring to life,

The meaning of both love and strife;

They’re all just part of live for those

Through whom the creative spirit flows.

The Changing Moon

The moon provides a gentle light

Which changes slowly every night

From almost like a cloudy day

Till it’s completely gone away,

And all is black, with not a trace

Of lunar light upon earth’s face.

Every month it makes its rounds,

From black as pitch till light abounds,

Always, forever in the sky,

While endless ages have all passed by.

No Need for Obscenities

Why do so many writers feel they really need to shock,

And everywhere within their works include a liberal stock

Of vulgar words and phrases which were better left unsaid,

But in so many modern works on every page are spread.

There is no need for words like that, which once were only found

On factory floors and similar, when women weren’t around.

And even then the language though it may have been quite rude,

Compared to that in books today, would not have been so crude.

Literature should aim to be a beacon of good taste,

And readers with obscenities should never risk being faced.

For a book that is well-written will most certainly not need,

Endless strings of vulgar words to help it to succeed.

Two Choices

Donald or Hillary?  Soon we will know

Which way the US election will go;

Two people so different, ideas far apart,

Comparing the pair, just where does one start?

Whoever’s elected will leave a big mark

Throughout the whole world, though we’re still in the dark

As to just what that mark will eventually be,

For the future is something that no-one can see.

All we can go by is what they now say,

And views can change greatly as time moves away

From present conditions to ones no-one thought

Would ever occur, and which no-one had sought.

So we’ll have to wait and see what is in store,

As people have done at elections before.

Greedy Oligarchs

Do we need the greedy people, those whose interest only runs

Ever onward to greater riches, accumulating massive funds,

Unbothered by the way they gained them, right from when they first began

Wheeling, dealing in the shadows, hoping money and lawyers can

Keep them out of any trouble, squashing any questions asked,

Ensuring that all murky details from authorities are masked.

Some are richer than small countries, and have governments in their hands,

Being effectively the rulers, unofficially, of their lands.

But while the few are getting richer, more controlling by the day,

Often there’s another facet, one which will not go away,

Millions are becoming poorer, crushed by those who have such power,

So their many latent talents will not have the chance to flower.

There's Nothing You Shouldn't Do

If you are fit and healthy you aren’t old,

And can ignore it if you’re ever told

By other people, that it is their view,

There really are some things you shouldn’t do.

No joining in with those you are among.

By getting up and dancing with the young,

No trying everything that comes to hand,

Because advancing age means things are banned.

No going out each day, returning late,

For that is wrong in your now aged state.

No taking up new hobbies which would mean

An active role within the sporting scene;

No learning any difficult new skills,

No going out because of winter chills;

No running round at speed as in the past,

For those who’ve reached your age should not move fast.

It doesn’t matter if you’re ninety-two,

The only one to try and please is you,

And if you’re fit enough and also bold,

You really shouldn’t feel that you’re too old,

To get involved in everything you can

Like any younger woman or young man.

An Endless Chain

Once again the autumn leaves are falling,

Blown from their branches by the wind which squalling

Rushes through the trees and brings them down,

Swirling through the air, all yellow and brown,

Until the wind drops and they gently fall,

On pavements or pile up against a wall.

And all the trees have only branches left,

Looking stark and totally bereft.

But come the spring, and there is never a doubt,

That thousands of new leaves will start to sprout,

Another link in one continuous chain,

As trees move on from bare to green again.

Hillary and Donald

Hillary, Hillary

Will be in the pillory

If Donald wins the day;

And if she wins

Then for her sins

He still mightn’t go away.

No Welcome Here for Colds

Colds are inconvenient when I’ve loads of things to do,

And any new activity must join a lengthy queue,

But some things just appear in life, without a welcome call,

Though any sort of illness isn’t wanted here at all.

But sniffles and a nasty cough have just arrived today,

And I can only hope that they will quickly go away,

For like so many people I’ve no time to spend being ill,

As there is so much to be done, I’m rarely ever still.

Children of Calais

How many of the “children” from the Calais Jungle camp,

Bear anything resembling an adolescent stamp?

The faces of so many of them obviously display

Signs that they are adult men, whatever they might say.

Their confidence and certainty are not those of the young,

But full-gown men who’ve long moved on from any teenage rung.

But if they say they’re children, then perhaps the general rule

Should be that they aren’t fostered, but sent straight to boarding school,

With uniforms and strict control on everything they do,

Although being treated as a child might anger quite a few,

Who are no longer children, and know that foster care

Means they can do what they want, with no restrictions there.

Getting Older, Getting Busier

Now I’m older it seems to me

Less and less of my time is free,

For as the years pass by I find,

I’ve more and more things on my mind.

New interests surface, and new friends too,

So now I have rarely nothing to do.

If this keeps up, eventually

The day will come when I will see

That I then have a completely full cup,

With hardly a moment not taken up

With going to this or doing that,

And only returning to sleep at my flat.

It's Much More Fun

It’s much more fun to be with those who share your view of life,

Which common values underpin, and there’s no cause for strife.

No feeling that you cannot say whatever comes to mind,

No need to feel that certain thoughts must all be left behind.

No need to worry all the time, as many people must

If some within their circle they’d be wiser not to trust.

No need to feel the ridicule which well might come your way,

If you a difference from the norm occasionally display.

Most people feel much more relaxed and much less stressed if they’re

With a crowd of others with whose values they all share.

Nicola

She wants a second referendum, for the first it’s true to say,

Though she campaigned without ceasing, failed of course to go her way.

And now instead of just accepting that the people had said “no”,

She’s determined she’ll keep trying, hoping her support will grow.

Never mind that that she has problems, and the money isn’t there

Now the price of oil’s gone downwards; but she doesn’t seem to care.

What she wants in independence, even if it well may mean,

Life in Scotland may be harder after than it’s ever been.

If You the Believe the Internet

If you believe the internet, you’ll have some strange ideas,

And almost certainly be wracked by many cares and fears;

World War III has now begun, and bombs will shortly fall,

Enough to devastate the earth and likely kill us all.

Hillary has long been dead; a double’s filled her place,

To carry on campaigning in the Presidential race.

Lizards form throughout the world a very secret band

And they are now the ones in charge of almost every land,

An ice age soon is coming, and we all had best prepare,

For arctic cold in winter and for ice sheets everywhere.

The Russians are prepared for war, and ready to invade,

The Germans are aware of this and have their plans all made.

Civil war will soon occur in France and the USA,

The world will very shortly end, as early as today.

Conspiracies are everywhere, and no-one can avoid,

The chance that all they value will quite short be destroyed.

Food will in the future be in very shortly supply,

So everyone should stockpile now, to make sure they’ll get by.

Revelations are to come which will destroy all chance,

For certain politicians that their party will advance.

On the internet, of course, there always will be room

For people who enjoy the chance to spread some doom and gloom,

So one needs to be careful and to clearly think things through

For much that’s on the internet quite simply isn’t true.

Failure

Time is quickly moving on,

This year will very soon be gone,

And what have I achieved so far?

Really very little bar

The odd small thing of no import,

Though with my New Year plans I ought

To have achieved a vast amount,

Instead of far too little to count.

EU Migrants

It’s said that shops would not exist if migrants were no more,

But that ignores the fact they managed very well before,

There were so many migrants from throughout the whole EU,

And really represents a very blinkered type of view,

Like saying that our cafes and our hospitals would crash

And all the service industries would vanish in a flash.

The truth is every migrant who arrives and brings some skills,

And one of many vacancies immediately fills,

Like everyone who lives here will also have to call

On all the many services used daily by us all.

So all the EU migrants who are working here just mean

The population’s bigger, and it should be clearly seen,

That if they left then others would replace them in their roles,

With English girls in all the posts held currently by Poles.

But there would seem no reason why the millions shouldn’t stay,

For nearly all are working and for years have paid their way.

And not because they’re needed to do jobs that others won’t,

For Englishmen will take them if the migrant workers don’t.

A Country that's not Free

What does it mean that a country’s not free,

And how does this impact on you and on me,

The ordinary people who work every day,

And over the government don’t hold any sway.

One thing that it means is the future’s quite bleak

For anyone daring to stand up and speak,

Pronouncing those truths which the state would prefer,

Were firmly kept hidden, at most being a blur.

Another it means is that no-one can live

Away from the constant requirement to give

Much information about what they do,

Whether they move or just start something new.

The government wants to keep close tabs on all,

Knowing their business, no matter how small.

Informers are everywhere, letting them know,

Who’s meeting who, everywhere they all go.

People feel they’re being watched, and they probably are,

For away from officialdom, few can go far.

In a country that’s free, no-one has any fear

That government informers might be in their sphere.

Free speech is normal, and people take pride

That only the truth need be used as a guide.

There’s no interference in most people’s lives

And the idea of citizens’ freedom survives.

There for You

Rarely trust a politician when he says he’s there for you,

For it is extremely likely that his words are just not true,

For he’s made the self same promise everywhere, to everyone

Knowing that they’d like to hear it, since his campaign’s first begun,

Though there’ll be conflicting interests, and he’s well aware that he

An advocate of all would find it quite impossible to be.

I Need a Change

I think I need a change of scene, a different place of work,

Somewhere more exciting, or I’ll start to go berserk,

For everything is just the same, as when I first arrived,

And after all these many years I now feel quite deprived

Of any stimulation which would exercise my mind,

Providing some distraction from the endless daily grind.

I really must start looking round for something else to do,

But jobs for which I’m qualified are really rather few.

So maybe I should think of ones for which I could re-train

And though no longer young return to college once again,

For it has slowly come to me, and now is really clear,

The many vital skills I’ll need to start a new career,

The American Election

Both candidates seem rather strange,

So it is awkward to arrange

My thoughts on who should next month win;

The process seems so near akin

To choosing from an unlikely two,

With neither of presidential hue.

Who’d be least worse to be in power

For neither can be said to tower

Over the other; but luckily I

Have no vote, so don’t have to try

To choose the one I want to be,

The President, for I cannot see

That either will be and good,

Ruling as a President should.

Maybe In future I’ll change my mind

If the one elected proves the kind

Of person the US needs today,

But I’m doubtful if things will go that way.

Raising the Pension Age

When pensions first were introduced they really were a boon

To men who’d worked for fifty years, and well might die quite soon;

Most didn’t claim for very long, as life back then was hard,

And most men’s’ lives by illness and by accidents were marred.

But most men now have easy lives; most hope to stay alive,

For fifteen, twenty, thirty years, when they turn sixty-five.

At seventy it’s normal that they still be in their prime,

And many in important jobs ignore retirement-time;

They go on working many years from when they could have quit,

Their minds still very active and their bodies very fit.

So maybe now the time has come when we should think again

About retirement ages both for women and for men,

Encouraging all workers to continue while they can,

So pensions can be fairly large, as when they first began.

For no-one can survive on just the basic rate today,

And while retirement age is low, this problem’s here to stay,

But if retirement were postponed then much more could be paid,

And pensioners would have no need for any extra aid.

Turning Points

Most people have experienced a point which marked a change,

When former routines ended and they had to re-arrange

Certain aspects of their lives, as they were moving on,

The future now was beckoning; the past was something gone.

Maybe it was marriage, and the start of a new life,

As one half of a couple, as a husband or a wife.

Perhaps a new profession, which involved a great deal new,

Which meant that they had to concentrate on different things to do.

Perhaps it was an illness or an accident which caused

A drastic change in lifestyle, meaning life for some time paused.

The need to care for parents, as their health began to fail,

Progressing from an active life to being extremely frail.

Going back to college, and a student’s life once more

When last time they had studied was so many years before.

The day the children all left home, and they at last were free,

To do just what they wanted, whatever that might be.

So many things within a life can mark a point where they

Started on a different path from that the previous day..

Not Only the Rich are Bright

Far too often it’s assumed that poorer children lack the brains

Of those whose parents have great wealth; this largely false assumption reigns

Within too many who are against the whole idea of grammar schools,

Instead of seeing them as being a place where hope and excellence rules.

It’s true that many a poorer child is not attuned to working hard,

But that is something that can be changed, but never will be if they’re barred

From going to schools where they’ll be stretched, and all the teachers there believe

That every child must learn to work, and every child will then achieve

The good results the rich expect, even if their child is dim,

And must work hard, as otherwise, the chance to shine’d be rather slim.

For money doesn’t equal brains, and being poor should never mean

That children shouldn’t have the chance to go to schools where it is seen

As normal that a child does well, and benefits from what they’re taught,

Leaving with some excellent grades, as every bright young student ought.

Workers and Shirkers

When people say they don’t want foreign workers,

Do they really mean they don’t want foreign shirkers?

Who come here thinking everything is free

And money grows on almost every tree.

They want a house in somewhere that is nice –

A normal Council flat will not suffice;

The slightest cough, they’re off without delay,

Demanding they be seen that very day.

They use the local schools for all their brood,

And to the patient staff are often rude.

Integration’s not a word they know –

Others ought to change where’er they go.

Nor is work a thing they want to do,

Assuming life on benefits is their due.

And all the time they make sure they receive

A sum each week that most would not believe.      

No-one likes the sort who never give,

Relying just on benefits to live.

But they are different to the ones who came,

And never since have ever made a claim,

But worked right from arrival to succeed

And thus provided for their every need.

They aren’t a burden, and contribute much,

Whether they’re Estonian, French or Dutch;

They integrate, so most are not aware

How many of them might be living there.

If one distinguishes between the types,

Against the workers most will have no gripes;

it is the ones who only come to claim,

Who for the adverse comments are to blame.

Thought Police

There are far too many people wielding too much power today,

Determined that they shall control not just what people say,

But also what they think as well, believing they should lose

Not just the right to say things, but to ponder any views

Within their brains which don’t agree with what their rulers wish,

As if they’d no more intellect than animals or fish.

Let’s hope there never comes a time when thinking’s not allowed

And harbouring a thought’s the same as saying it out loud.

It’s happened in the past, and well could happen once again,

In any countries paranoid dictatorships may reign.

The Need to Keep Free Speech

The right to criticise and mock

We should ensure that none can block,

By claiming they’re a special breed

And of protection are in need.

Perhaps they do not like the truth,

But if the speaker has the proof

He ought to be allowed to state

The truth, and not around it skate,

Afraid he might face even gaol,

If for a moment he should fail

To keep in mind that some groups are

Much too sensitive by far,

And will complain if anyone

Of their beliefs would dare make fun,

Or criticise their way of life,

Their morals or their love of strife.

In fairness there should never be

Bars against all speech being free,

Providing that the truth’s being told

And slander’s not allowed take hold.

Why Do We Need so Many New Laws

Why does any government need

To pass new laws at such a speed?

With hundreds added every year     

Few can ever hope to steer

Their way through all and understand

What the bulk of laws demand.

Perhaps it’s time all governments should

Give up passing laws for good,

Except for just a very few

To deal with situations new.

The First Snow

As I look out the window what catches my eye,

Are tiny white flakes floating down from the sky;        

They land on the ground but they soon melt away,

Being just a precursor of winter today.

Later on, heeding the winter’s loud call,

The snow will return with a much larger fall,

Which won’t melt away when it lands on the ground,

But rather for days will be lying around.

Selfish versus Caring

For people who are selfish when they’re young,

This often proves to be the initial rung

Of a ladder that grows longer as they age,

Until when they are old they reach the stage

When there can never be the slightest doubt

That they’re the only ones they care about.

Others are so caring when they’re young;

This also proves to be the initial rung

Of a ladder which grows longer as they age

Until when they are old they reach the stage,

When they can think of naught by others’ good,

And would be even kinder if they could.