The boat was beached at low, low tide,
It tipped forlornly to one side,
The sea retreated way off shore,
Perhaps a hundred leagues or more
There was a sheen across the sand,
And an apricot sky, painted by God’s hand.

We have been friends for such a long time,
This is us when we weren’t yet in our prime..
It is so long ago I can barely recall,
That much about it, except you were small.
Our friendship has lasted through thick and through thin,
You are my soul mate, where do I begin,
To tell you just how much your trust means to me,
A forever friendship , that is what ours will be.

The man who designed this had a vision,
Of grandeur that would belie the humble trade beneath its roof.
Built on a site dating back to the 14th century,
Horace Jones redesigned the space with glass and iron,
Strength and light and majesty.
To walk its halls is to marvel at the beauty of a brilliant construction.

I poled the punt up to the bank,
To smell the flowers, rank on rank,
A field of yellow, vibrant, true,
Too beautiful to tiptoe through,
I moseyed gently round the edge,
Heading for a sheltering hedge,
Near which to spread my picnic out,
A fine pork pie, a glass of stout,
And then a juicy peach or two,
Oh what a life, oh what a view.

A clear, turquoise sea,
You can see clear to the bottom,
And the turtles happily swimming amongst us…
What a world it is to live in!

b

If I put my hands across my eyes,
Can you see me?
‘Cause I can’t see you!
Sit and count slowly,
1 – 100,
Enough time for me to find…
A convenient tree…
Hide my face and the world disappears,
…do I too?

Watch out world, I’m on my trike!
This is a freedom I really like!
I can pedal with vigour and then freewheel,
Drive at pedestrians, make them squeal!
I can go really fast, or ever so slow,
It’s a fabulous feeling, don’t you know?
I won’t wear a shirt, I want the air on my skin,
But my mum thinks that I’ll bruise my back or my shin,
So I will appease her and wear a flat cap,
In case, heaven forfend, I have a mishap!

If you want to know true majesty,
Seek out these giants of the sea.
I am tall at six foot four,
But he swamps me, four score or more.
Unassuming, gentle giants,
These creatures are a gift to science.
I could watch for hours and hours,
My affection for them never sours.
They move with ease and awesome grace,
The water seems to hold them in a close embrace.
And marvel how something of such size,
Can somehow just materialise.

I was cooking a wonderful buffet,
For all of my very best friends,
Meat, fish, veggie, all gourmet,
And following all of the latest trends.
I was deeply and totally absorbed in my work,
But I felt I was being scrutinised,
I was alone, so felt like a bit of a jerk,
Then looked up and to my utter surprise,
I had an audience of hens, dog and cat,
All keen to sample my wares,
I silently promised each of them that
The leftovers might answer their prayers!

A gash of colour beneath my feet,
As if the trees themselves are shedding their life’s blood,
A world of red,
Above, below,
As far as the eye can see.
The lush, vibrant, greens of summer,
Are morphing into the hues of Fall.
But this is no humble, gentle transformation,
This is Autumn declaring itself.
“Look at ME!”
Marvel at just how beautiful
This little death can be each year…

This poem is for my darling wife, on a
day to remember her grandmother. To remind her that the wonder of the times we have with those we love is locked in our hearts and minds forever and it may be painful to remember on days like this but it is a good pain because the joy and the love floods back too…