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Angelina has a rainbow which is yellow, mauve and pink.
She likes to go there often if she wants to sit and think.
She like the way it shimmers and watches as it shines,
she knows that it will answer any question that she finds.
She watches birds and animals that dance beneath its arch,
and the mischief of the squirrels,  which always makes her laugh,
She likes to know the rainbow will softly wipe her tears.
She loves the way it listens as she tells it of her fears,
for sometimes, when she's home again, it's very sad but true
that Angelina's rainbow turns purple, black and blue.
I am always incensed by cruelty against children and this poem was written after I read a particularly disturbing news report one day.
T onight
I cannot sleep
N ot a moment's peace have I,
N othing seems to stop it,
I have to wonder why. I
T ry to hear my breathing and
U nderstand the noise that makes me lose
S leep - but I haven't any choice.

Tinnitus ain't funny
but there's nothing I can do,
but listen to that ringing sound
all the long night through
Written just a day or two ago following a night where my tinnitus was particularly loud.
pink hearse.
cold winters day.
celebrating a life
obviously well-lived.

God bless.
I saw a funeral procession and the hearse was pink.  It made me think of this poem.
To a little girl lost.
I hope you find your way home.
I hope you're not afraid
or lonely
or missing the arms of your loved ones.
They hold you forever
in their hearts
and that's where you'll stay.
Be bold little one, be brave.
Stand tall.
Be proud.
You'll always be loved
more than you know.

Little girl lost
find your way home.
A seven year old girl was recently killed in a local park.  It was a freak accident and it had a profound affect on this comunity.  I hope she did find her way home to those who love her.  I can't bear the thought of her wandering around, heartbroken and alone.  RIP Elonna.
Spirit of the lakes,
unseen but strong in presence,
adding a touch of magic
to all who pass.  Even
the cattle stop mid-chew
and look up inquisitively,
and sheep stand still and calm
as the enchantment catches them,
holding them in warm embrace
as only Cumbria can.
Written on holiday in the Lake District in 2013.
George squeezed through
a gap in the fence one day,
in hope he'd find
a quicker way
to reach his gran's
just outside town,
but what he saw
made him frown,
for where the street
and road should be,
he found a forest
near the sea.
I have a sneaky suspicion I wrote this as the opening to an epic story which, for some reason, I never saw through.  I like poems that tell a story.
Go out there.
Breathe the air.
Hear the birds.
Be deaf to
a harsh world.
Every day is a blessing.
Just ask the dead.
          
                    They know!
It is easy to feel like giving up sometimes; whether it's for personal or professional reasons.  But we who are alive still have choices.  We can make it better.
Where did that book go?
I left it here,
right here
on my desk
just last night,
yet today - no sign of it.

Now that's what I call
a mystery story....
This really happened sometime between last night and this morning.  A thorough search has proved fruitless.  The book has gone...
Where did that book go?
I left it here,
right here
on my desk
just last night,
yet today - no sign of it.

Now that's what I call
a mystery story....
This really happened sometime between last night and this morning.  A thorough search has proved fruitless.  The book has gone...
So realistic!
Characters in soaps never
EVER watch the soaps!
Each to his own - kids
in grandad shirts and grandads
in denim jeans!
We anticipate
our holidays and yet, we
love arriving home!
"More cops!" we all cried.
"Invasion of privacy!"
we then relented!
Don't you wonder why
'easy to assemble' means
headaches and tantrums!
I love writing haiku; it is my favourite poetry form.  It can be funny, tragic, inspiring - whatever I need it to be!  These five all came from a collection of mine entitled "I, Human" written in the early noughties.
My Writer's and Artist's Year Book
knows me well.
It knows what I want to write
and where I want to send it.

So why - oh why -
does it stay obstinately closed
as I sit  and wait
for inspiration ...?
Guess most writers and poets have been there ...
Oh no! My laptop's broken!
Whatever can I do?
Thank goodness for my mobile;
At least I'll still reach you.
The laptop's in the hospital
at the shop where it was bought.
It could be gone a week before
it's right back where it ought.
I guess I'll have to manage,
I have always been a fighter
so out come all my pads and pens
- and faithful old typewriter.
Gutted when my 9 month old laptop just died the other day. Aren't things built to last anymore?
there's nothing wrong with
being kind to other folk
even a gentle word
can make a massive difference
words guide us, teach us, encourage us
and heal us

my heart is ruled
by my pen
I always try to smile at others.  Sometimes, it is all you need!
Old Mother Sea,
she reflects me,
her colours are my moods.
On a good day,
we sparkle - together
I wrote this years ago on a holiday.  Now I live near the sea in Essex, England.  Lucky me!
Bob you found your way to James
who took you in
and cared for you.
You were two souls who were lost
that needed to meet  so you could
shape your future together.
You helped one another
through the storm
and found your way to the rainbow.
Your story is an inspiration
- a tonic in these troubled times,
living proof that resilience is common
across all species combined
and, when you hit your lowest note,
the only thing to do
is aim high,
because sometimes,
we need to be in the dark
before we can appreciate
the light.
This poem is for James Bowen whose bestselling book A Street Cat Named Bob tells the true story of how these two unlikely characters, made the best of their difficult circumstances, each changing the life of the other.
To make it better,
first it must get worse,
so piles of rubble
beside the road
will one day be transformed
- or not as the case may be -
in the relentless
march of progress.
Perhaps.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
One day .
I cannot keep up with the world sometimes.
Greater Spotted High Street
looking very glum,
people treading everyday
on other people's gum.
Why ever do they do it?
Can't they find a bin ?
if they need to spit their gum out,
that's what to spit it in.
Instead we walk on pavements
covered in white spots.
It is a filthy habit,
so stop, s t o p , S T O P!
I hate it when people do not look after their environment.  Spitting gum out onto the pavement is truly gross!
We always do our best
but it never seems enough,
the cost of living rises
and times are very tough,
we try to make ends meet,
cut back where we can,
yet bit by bit our savings
are going down the pan.
I don't know how we'll manage,
but manage we simply must,
even though we ask ourselves
how long till we're bust?
If today were yesterday,
what would I do differently?
I'd smile more.
I'd frown less.
I'd walk with pride
and hold my head high.
I'd do something
that helps someone else,
think less of my failures
and more of my achievements.
I'd make the most of each moment
and remind myself
that someone, somewhere
is for sure, worse off than me,
that I am truly priveleged.
I'd remember that
whatever people say.
I am unique
just as they are.

If today were tomorrow,
I'd know I'd done
the best I could,
sleep in complete peace
and make the most

of now.
I like writing poetry that lifts peoples' spirits.  This was written in 2006 but still stands true today.
One advantage  of living higher
than the flat roof next door,
is seeing how two infant chicks
grow and develop,
knowing that one day,
they'll look
and survive
just like their seagull mother.

What those lower down miss ...
I have been watching two seagul chicks for weeks on the flat roof next door.  They were little yellow fluffballs to begin with.  Now they are very nearly juvenile gulls.  It has been a privelage to see!
All through villages,
floodwater crept,
up land and down land
as villagers slept.
Creeping and sweeping
in wave after wave.
How could the people
ever be saved?
This poem was literally written after I was wakened by a nightmare on 11.11.11.
Thankfully it has not thus far been prophetic!
The Lord is my editor
whom I shall trust.
He maketh me to
reach for my pen.
He feedeth me with ideas
that I shall write down
for His name's sake.
He leadeth me to the right markets
and restoreth my self belief.
He fills my pen with blessings
that I can share
and poems that I can write.
Surely His goodness and mercy
will guide my hand always.
And I shall write in the name of the Lord
forever.
Amen
I have a very quiet and personal relationship with God.  I have never felt comfortable in collective worship and rarely go to church.  This poem won a prize a few years back and it is still one of my favourites.

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