At last the sinister stranger arrived,
in a large limousine with windows dark
that no one should see who was inside,
and a small flag in front and a shiny sheen,
every part polished and perfectly clean,
diplomatic plates both front and behind
impressive it was this four-wheeled machine.
Out stepped the stranger and black of hair,
his glasses glinting in the glare
of sunlight shining down on him,
strutting slowly unsmiling towards
the club with all his bodyguards,
short of stature, fat not thin,
tunic of grey and stern of mien,
the arrogant autocrat himself in person
had arrived to visit George’s kitchen.

From The Adventures of George
©Blair Gowrie (Roderick Macdonald)

One day there came into the club
a stranger causing a great hubbub
with his soldierly, swaggering, uniformed figure,
and short black hair and moustache a-quiver,
and with him aides and associates ten,
all muscular, military, mustachioed men,
and looking around with disdain he decried
not a table there was which was not occupied,
and noticing a nearby noisy group
of diners spooning up their soup
at a longish table seating twenty
and laden with food and drink a-plenty,
he called the captain with this demand,
“Give me that table, it’s my command.”

from The Adventures of George
©Blair Gowrie (Roderick Macdonald)

One of these cooks a woman was,
direct and forthright, and because
her eyes of brown and auburn hair,
lips of red and complexion fair
and steely nerve and smile so tight
and giving orders left and right
made all who worked there live in fright.
No-nonsense style, and assertive too,
while delegating work to do,
should any cook show tardiness
and fail to prove his real finesse,
she would at once her work forsake
and scold him for his laziness.
Yes, brash and bossy she was at times,
wanting to install some discipline
in all her comrades in the kitchen,
and to give to them some sense of pride
in their work and occupation.
Her cooking was plain, no elaboration,
no garlic for her or similar spices,
salt, pepper and mustard were her devices.

From The Adventures of George
©Blair Gowrie (Roderick Macdonald)

George had under him five cooks
of various characters and looks
with great experience of many a year
in numerous countries both far and near,
all culinary experts of great art,
who were always ready to provide
any dish the customer might decide
to order from the menu cards.
And among these fellows there was one
who in preparing fancy dishes some
might say this man a genius is,
as skills as precious and pure as his
in creating flavours of such power
are hard to find in this world of ours.
Tall he was with a face so narrow
his nose projected like an arrow,
and of his country he was so proud
that never a person was allowed
to make the slightest disparagement
without receiving an icy glance.
Disliked he was by all his fellows,
his manner haughty, hard, not mellow,
which caused all kinds of minor friction
with his colleagues in the kitchen.

From The Adventures of George
©Blair Gowrie (Roderick Macdonald)

George, amiable and affable was he,
as relaxed and friendly as could be,
attired in white he looked, well, good,
a proper leader concocting food,
with ever a grace and persuasive smile
that all who saw him did beguile.
And his hat was white, his apron too,
kept spotless regardless of the stew,
and pans and pots upon the fire,
some simmering, boiling, frying stuff,
in order that there be enough
for customers in every shape and size
desirous of sampling his expertise.

From The Adventures of George
©Blair Gowrie (Roderick Macdonald)

Sometimes I wake up to the soft whirring sound
Of the washing machine spinning clothes round and round,
The chirps from the sparrows sitting under the eaves,
The rustling and scraping as the wind blows the leaves,
The murmur of talk as someone speaks to the dogs,
The pit-pat on concrete as the running man jogs,
The noise from the pigeons as they feed from tin cups,
The beat of their wings as disturbed they fly up,
And as the room comes alight with the early-morn glow,
It’s telling me it’s time to get up and go.

From Entertaining Verse Poems
©Blair Gowrie (Roderick Macdonald)

Sometimes I like to sit in the shade
On a park bench, watch the ducks on parade,
In a long line, smoothly swimming somewhere,
Causing hardly a ripple as they move here and there,
And gliding so gracefully, supercilious swans,
Plucking at grass from newly mown lawns,
See the flowers in bloom in yellows and reds,
Artfully arranged in bright flower beds,
The bees buzzing busily as they do their day’s work,
Hear the pigeon wings flap and the little birds chirp,
With trees in the background, every size, every shape,
Their reflections outlined in the shimmering lake,
The leaves multi-coloured in orange, brown and green,
Creating a sublimely harmonious scene,
All this, and the sun’s rays caressing the ground,
Tell me it’s heaven on earth that I’ve found.

From Entertaining Verse Poems
©Blair Gowrie (Roderick Macdonald)
http://www.macdonrod.com/EntertainingVersePoems.htm