You stood tall
and blocked many
of life's footballs
for eighty odd years
You lived in many places
from Cairo to Barrow
until you came to live with lucky us
here in Windermere
I never saw you as a soldier
a lover of women and fun
It’s hard to see you shooting a gun
at anyone
I saw you as a gardener
toiling gently in the soil
You knew your birds and bees
and your flowers and your trees
You avoided the elevator
like the plague
I’m glad you left before
there were compromises
you would have to make
You still had most of your hair
and you preferred to take the stairs

Keith.
Keith the gardener, Keith the poet,
Keith with the infectious smile, Keith with the load of worries,
Keith of the lost loves, Keith of the quirky turn of phrase,
Keith who could always come up with a title -
Keith, we shall remember you well.
Hugs all round,
Janet

Goodbye Keith Wilson
We will miss you here
at Birthwaite Bards you brought us cheer
Always remembering the good old days
Lost loves
sometimes new
How many can you remember?
Twenty one or twenty two?
We had a laugh with stories you told
and poems so bold
Birthwaite Bards feel a loss
We'll remember you dearly
Happy days!

It's sad to say
that Keith's writing skills
of which there were many
have passed away
No more little tales
stories
and poems
So many differents parts of his life
to enjoy, and enjoy
like being a 'Gardener'
falling into hedges
without knowing why
Bless him, wherever he may be

(11 May 1934 -November 2022)

Mister Wilson, salt of the earth
a peaceful poet, embarks on rebirth
His charm, his wit, his humble wisdom
We honour now with candle lit
A gardener of words and of the land
May he be led lovingly by the hand
to a place full of foxes and robins
with trees, flowers, and crystal clear waters
May he find there all he loves dearly
As we celebrate his life and see his heart more clearly
Sweet dreams to our dear friend
You are in our hearts, our love we send
❤

Keith has gone
He has passed on
a week ago
I am letting everyone know
His fellow poets in Windermere
will publish a few new poems here

What's a cup of coffee?
'Nana' is it's name
They used to call me 'grandma'
but now it's not the same
Now I'm having a refill
I think it's coming now
So Sheila, take a bow

I dropped my wifi
on the blackbird
and it didn't feel so good
I was worried about him
in the present climate
I thought I would leave the door open
so he could call anytime
Happy days!

British Summer Time

British summer time has begun
Clock’s gone forward forward one hour
It’s supposed to create more daylight
They won’t have to go to school in the dark
I remember during the second world war
putting them forward two hours
I keep one clock on the old time
and one on the new
and go by the sun

The birds are flocking together
looking for a mate wherever
looking to build nests
then they can sit and rest
Soon they will have new chicks
then they’ll be chuffed to bits
Soon the chicks will fly away
and will be saying a goodbye to go to stay
It’s the same for us humans, you see
our families grow up and flee

Is it a jumble of words
or a Haiku?
It could be a villanelle
or just plain verse
Perhaps it’s a ten-word poem
or a short short
It could be a short story
or the start of a novel
Does it have to rhyme?
Anyway
poetry seems very popular
for reader and writer

WHAT IS A POEM?

The storm was raging
Unsubtle changes!
The circumference of the area
was lit up by lightning
flashing down
in the blink of an eye.
All the birds were clustered together
It was quite scary

The neighbours were organizing a street party
right in the middle
of Covid 19
Their closeness took my breath away
and my skin crawled
I had a word with one of them
but they were acting strange
forming a triangle across the street
I finally left
and went back indoors

After going to the store for some greens
I took a walk up Farlton Knot
I needed a guide
The sky was was  a bright red flame colour
Probably some rain on the way
I didn’t stay long
I came down
and made my way home

Dark days, it’s never light
I have the lights on all day
Night is starting to close in at four pm
At least it’s a quiet time of year
Nothing is stirring
Typical November
No sun, no moon, no stars

I stood on the steps of our mansion
Hazel was busy doing the garden
She found a bird’s nest in the bushes
She finished folding the groundsheet
which was a relief to one and all

I was stood by the window
feeling very brave at the fireworks
when  a flare etched into the stonework
close to the cinnamon ***

Every line of this artful picture
showing smoke
rising from the floor
stealing to the surface

I went to the bank
It was misty and raining
I arrived
needing some money
I had forgotten my pin number
probably stemming from the lockdown
Eventually I got it right
took my money
and went home
singing

I tossed a silver coin
which spilled across the floor
into the speck of dust
I told my lover
it was over

A full screen of starlings
flew overhead
curling ‘round
then they melted
into the distance
It made my pulse race
for a few seconds

The Covid here again, see
affecting both you and me
I think it will stay
and we all will pay

I went to the bank
It was misty and raining
I arrived
needing some money
I had forgotten my pin number
probably stemming from the lockdown
Eventually I got it right
took my money
and went home
singing

I was just coming out
of the glass house
when a fox came
from behind
the distant ash tree
I thought
he was wanting to bond
but hearing me
he ran off at high speed

She looks through me
never seeing the love
I’m feeling for her
She’s tall and slim
with hair of sun
Her face, perfection
skin of rare complexion
that mouth unique
that will never speak to me

I  was  stood  on  the  edge
of  a  precipice.
When  a  loud  clap  of  thunder
came  down  from  a  red  sky.
Then  it  turned  black
black  as  the  night.
There  was  certainly
a  lack  of  oxygen  in  the  air.
So  i  made  my  way  home
in  the  driving  rain.

Its a high spring

summer morning

the Daffodils  have been nice

now its the blossom

that's lighting up the countryside

I've been for an operation

so I must take it easy

in the coming weeks

The garden will soon be in full bloom

as summer comes

KEITH WILSON

It's a lovely spring morning
good to be alive today

I went to the doctor today
and he wasn't in

New locks at Birthwaite
Are we in or are we out?
We're never 'in there with a shout'
Builders working in the rain
wishing it was fine again
They are actually working very hard
Should be finished by end of March

It's a nice fine morning
Could make a nice day

Autograph
is it real or is it fake?
Tommy Handley, four hundred pounds
How do we know it's authentic?
I suppose we will never know
They sign one card
then there's a big print-off

Poetry is a pain
there is little gain

We sit there for hours
talking about the flowers

When all is said and done
winter has not gone

It's dark and dismal outside
as behind my window I hide
The rain comes down far and wide
nothing stops it, there is no guide
Rivers burst in their banks
Tidal waves all around
There's no boundaries, there's no thanks
water covering all the ground
People flooded in their homes
mopping up all alone
wading through the swirling foam
getting frozen to the bone
It will stop one day
but it seems we've all to pay

Love is in the air
It's Valentine's Day
The day Saint Valentine
lost his life

It's still a relatively mild winter
I wonder what's to come?
February can be harsh in this part of the world
still night frosts though
Signs at the moment- it will stay mild
though we'll be lucky to escape the snow
Snow on the mountain tops

Really wet morning
rain very heavy today
maybe dry later

Nice frosty morning
All the grass is very white
Should make a nice day

The roofers are banging up above
making it stressful for the poets
We tremble with all the kerfuffle

As the roofers trail through the muddy garden
we wonder when they will be finished
As of now it is indefinite

I fell through the hedge
I hurt my knees quite a bit
I'll soon be better

Tree stands very tall
the leaves now in full blossom
waiting for summer

The football club were ****** new talent!

One day the manager burst into the dressing room
"Where's young Todd" he said
he's gone missing again;
pity, he's such a cool player"

My friend turned to me saying
it was an enigma

Burst into the room  
cool blood dripping from the vein
friend said: "Enigma"

On my holiday
I went to visit a cave

I was a bit apprehensive
but, tongue in cheek, I went inside

It was a large cave,
you almost needed a map

Feeling my way
I just hoped I wouldn't fall

It turned out ok

I found out
my football coupon was void

There was me
thinking I had won

and going out
in a blaze of glory

For a few minutes
I wanted to sing

My head was in a spin

I was busy
gluing pictures
into my scrapbook
when I came across
a lovely one
of a blackbird

I pasted it
in an instant

I found out that
Epiphany
was on January sixth

I also made a tryst
with the girl next door

I am wondering
a biscuit or a blueberry
Very tasty too

The garden's dormant
'til another springtime comes
which soon will be here

As it was coming in dark
just in a moment
the starling flew into orbit
I think I will delete this page

A peaceful Christmas
All the best for the New Year
Keep safe 'til we meet