I like being on time
but I am usually early
and have a boring wait
Being late isn't an option
I always end up early

The roses are beautiful
this year
with all the dry weather
The daisies lift their smiling faces
to the afternoon sun
Most blossoms are fine and healthy
with there being less wind
At last
we are having summer

I'm stepping out
with the ladies
(still)
We'll make it
to the post office
We will!

I hope this stick
won't give out
because I'll be falling
all about

Got back
safely
in a sweat
It's not time
to give up
on me
yet

There were ladies
hammering
on my door
They thought
they'd find me
on the floor

I hadn't answered
the weekly call
I had a better offer
That's all!

John
was a professional
pick-pocket
locally known as 'The Dip'
He frequented
commuter trains
and outside markets
to ply his trade:
"Successful morning today
"I collected two-hundred pounds
and now I'm on my way"

Gardens are forward
due to the glorious spring weather
They say bees are dying
affecting pollination
but climbing plants
are making more growth than usual

I got a brand new
ebony black
walking stick
I walked two miles with it
on Monday
It's good on dry land
or wet
The tapping sound
gives you confidence
and you don't think you will fall

Don't put your plastic
on the beach
The fish think
it's something to eat

"There is
a hole in the ozone layer"
they say
Sunshine in the spring
followed by
storms and high humidity
in July and August
Plants are blooming much earlier
Ice is melting
in the Antarctic

The old cricket pavilion
in the village playing fields
eighty-one years ago
was in a very dilapidated state
We played in it for hours
It had a drop-down front
for the scorers of the match
and also a lean-to shed
locked-up
with all the tools and cricket gear
I often wonder
when it was taken down
It probably fell down
on it's own
Happy days!

It's all mind games
You sit there
and say
you can't do it
to your self
but when
someone says you can do it
you can
Can't you?

The Majestic English Oak
that stands proudly
in the corner of our garden
popular with the squirrels

Oak was used for ship-building
for years
noted for its resistance to water
Ours looks about eighty feet tall
overshadowing
the other trees

Superb!

The eleventh of May
The date of today
Was the day of the birth
On this fortunate earth
Of a poet of note
Of Keith Wilson I speak
Published, prolific
Read in the cities
Read on the beach
On tablets and towers
They love his technique
From gardens and flowers
To departures and grief
His readers rejoice and celebrate
This wholly happy date

Sean Hunt

All my wrinkles will be gone
when I'm dead
Peaceful
free from worry
warm at last

Its a cold dark May morning
Much cooler today
Blossoms
are quickly
disappearing
with the overnight rain
Pink petals blown into drifts
Bluebells are in their prime

I often wonder
how many
different shades of green
there are

Very pale green
right through
to a very dark green
Pale green in the large trees
like the oak
to a much darker green
in the hedgerows

It could be
different sunlight
or shade

Heavy rain
this morning
which is
very welcome
after a dry spell
Flowers standing up well
trees are lovely
shades of green
across the far lawn

Some windows open
some windows shut
some windows slanting
some in the sunlight
some in the shade
standing out
against a white wall
A poem in a minute

Its a lovely spring morning
I'm looking out
at a blossoming cherry tree
The sun casting shadows
across the lawn
A row of *** plants
baking in the morning sun
some flowering
and some still dormant
A slight breeze starting to pick up
What else can I say?
The weather seems set fair.

It seems like a real dream
often better than reality
We wake up to a dreary world
Let's dream on

Nightmares not good
but life can be hell on earth

Its a beautiful spring morning
all the blossoms
standing out
against the clear blue sky
Birds are mating up
and building nests
No sign of rain

People ask
"When are the leaves coming on the trees?"
It's usually mid to late April
then we can plant the early potatoes
and prepare seed beds
And hope there are no late frosts
(That's England)

Two baby squirrels
bathing in the water fountain
in the early morning
Nature has its own way of keeping clean
then they ran off looking for food

Is there anything in the theory
that we have had past lives?
I once visited a small town
for the first time
I swore I had been there before
I knew every nook and crannie
This was very strange to me

Time flies
In forty three days
I'll be eighty five
but I've been feeling old
since I was seventy nine
It's hard to concentrate
all the time
with this mind of mine

I saw a pair of foxes this morning
running quietly across the lawn
probably hunting for food

We used to have a lot of rabbits
but the foxes are keeping them under control
It was only six o'clock this morning

I walked the garden long in late evening
The sun was casting shadows on the rooftops
The garden sparkled from the raindrops after overnight rain
Everything feeling quite peaceful

Technology is here to stay
Nobody cares as long as you pay
Sometimes fast and mostly slow
keeping you 'on the go'
Patience needed all the time
trying to make poetry rhyme
One day it may be better
every single little letter

Spring is officially here
although not the weather, I fear

Plenty of spring flowers in bloom
Summer will be here soon

The birds are chirping away
looking for mates, I would say

Beware of this day
We need to be nervous
Julius Caesar was assassinated
Two hundred sailors drowned
in a cyclone
which Sank their warships
In 1952 Large amounts of rain
fell on a French island
in the Indian Ocean
I was in Egypt at the time
Sinai desert
No rain

It's a stormy March morning
with gale force winds
and periods of rain
The early tulips
are taking a battering
but the azealias are standing up well

What is common land?
Owned by few
or an organisation
Permission to graze cattle
and the use of public footpaths
Not sure about tents and camping
One may need to ask some where
Boundaries by wall or fencing
I'd say a park is common land
you are allowed in it but don't own it

I saw the squirrel this morning
swarming up the bird feeder
after the nuts
then he scampered across the lawn
into the bushes
out of sight
Then all the birds came back to the feeder

Would we get away with anything?
I don't think so
we are all quite creative

The Birthwaite Bards
Are we clever?
Or is it all in the mind?
People seem to like it online
but little response by the locals

March is coming
quietly
a bit foggy
but still dry

It's a quiet
fair February morning
a few early flowers
are blooming
Snowdrops and Crocuses
are out
Spring will be here soon

Spring is on its way
Be blessed for another day

But why are we here on this earth
so full of greed
and money mad
Constant rumours of war
seem to keep things quiet
but I suppose
we'll put up with it
because there's never no solution

Everyone sat quiet
around the table
writing
about death
nature
or whatever

Surgery soon they say
Will I have to pay?
Been paying for a lifetime
to live another day
Could be next month or later
Eighteen weeks or less
they say

Quite a lot of snow this week
dressing the trees
in lovely fashion
like an old Christmas card
Birds seem to be struggling a bit
in the harsh weather
The winter life of a bird
is hard

Solid leather ball
heavy when wet
muddy pitches
unlke today's perfect grass
I played goalkeeper
got knocked out a few times
when charged
Not allowed now
Considered barbaric

One thing about snow
It makes everyone's garden
clean and tidy
Whether
it's been cultivated or not

Still a relatively mild winter
Wonder what's to come
February can be harsh
in this part of the world
Some night frosts though
Signs at the moment it may stay mild
though we'll be lucky to escape the snow
No snow on the mountain tops yet

An eerie mist descends
just above the water level
as daylight begins to fade
All the trees are bare
and the ancient mountains
are stubbornly standing there
All the boats are in shore
having their winter makeover
Odd flickers of light
quickly come and go
adding to the mystery
of those who have perished there
in Lake Windermere

It's been a strange week
Hospitals and birthday parties
What a contrast
I hope for a quiet week next week
but not too quiet

Now in the new year
Hope it's a good one
and peace reigns across the planet
Too many wars
and rumours of war

It's a nice January morning
after the overnight hard frost

Is it really over
Has your love died
Is it the end of the line

Do you not need me
No part of me
Is it really over

Our love once was strong
I thought it was forever
Is it the end of the line

When love was new
I just thought of you
Is it really over

We met in the park
Just before dark
Is it the end of the line

When you were gone
I tried to move on
Is it really over
Is it the end of the line

Now it's hibernating time
which is fine
I'm so tired I could sleep
on my feet
standing up
like Maggie's happy horse