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

Touch of ground frost this morning
First of the season

But  I  can  sit  and  dream  a  while.
About  her  and  her  perfect  smile.
Yes  I  can  see  her  in  my  dreams.
And  watch  her  dance  among  moonbeams.
Her  golden  silken  hair  all  free.
And  then  she  comes  and  walks  by  me.

Keith  Wilson.  Windermere.  UK.2016.

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

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

It's a dull dark dank
November morning
Flowers dying back
It looks like the onset of winter

Remembering the fallen
from France to the middle East
Red poppies and crosses
are all that we see

Not  so  much  a  pitter-pattering.
But  a  downpour,the  rain  here.

Keith  Wilson.  Windermere. UK. 2016.

The old barn owl was on the wing
in line with the moon's shadow

I followed without a whisper
until he settled, in a nearby tree

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

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

The Azalias
have been wonderful
this year
They don't like it too hot

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

seconds  tick  and  seconds  go.
tell  me  where  for  I  don't  know.
I  call  to  them  don't  go  so  fast.
but  they  continue  racing  past.
one  day  they'll  stop  for  me  alone  
and  then  ill  know  where  seconds  go.
keith Wilson 2015.

It's a close muggy morning
with a little rain about

The  weather  very  hot.
Like  standing  over  a  melting  ***.

The  gardens  oh  so  dry
suffering  under  a  cloudless  sky.

The  English  Lakes.
Warmest  place  in  Britain.

Keith  Wilson.  Windermere.  UK.  2018.

March is coming
quietly
a bit foggy
but still dry

John the postman
is a cheerful chap
although
he once hurt his back

He brings the mail
dead on time
whether it's wet
or whether it's fine

He trundles along
in his little red van
and he's always there
to help if he can

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 saw the deer early morning
in our communal garden
Tried to get some photos
But she kept disappearing
into the shady glen of the large trees
She seemed to come from the park
along the busy main road

All is well and comes to an end
The daylight into night transcends
The stars and moon replace the sun
Birds and animals cease to run
But rivers, babbling brooks and streams
Continue on as do men's dreams

Keith   Wilson

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"

The large garden daisies
are looking very well
Quite a picture!

10  WORDS.

I  live  in  Wordsworth  country.
Near  Grasmere,  the  Lake  District.

Keith  Wilson.  Windermere.  UK.  2016.

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

My  friend  Sean  is  fed  up  with  the  British  peoples.
Obsession  about  the  weather.

Is  it  wet.  Is  it  fine.  Is  it   windy.
Could  be  frosty  or  even  snow.
But  generally  its  heavy  rain.

I  don't  mind  to  much.
I  was  in  Egypt,  where  the  weather  is  always  the  same.
Day  in.  Day  out.

Keith  Wilson.  Windermere.  UK.  2016.

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 jackdaws
are noisy
today
They like to rule the roost

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

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

Live in the moment meditations
Lose yourself in decorative doodling

She  looks  through  me.
Never  seeing  the  love  I'm  feeling  for  her.
She  is  tall  and  slim.
With  hair  of  sun.
Her  face  perfection.
Skin  of  rare  complexion  
That  mouth  unique.
That  will  never  speak  to  me.

Keith  Wilson.  Windermere.  UK  2016.

People keep telling me
to get a stick
I don't want one stick
or two sticks
I'd rather fall over
and start again

The pigeons out in the open
taking a big risk
with sparrowhawks all around

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

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

As  the  saying  goes.
Money  is  the  root  of  all  evil.
Money  as  never  interested  me.
As  long  as  I  have  enough  to  get  by.
I'm  happy.

It  was  the  same  at  work.
The  lads  fighting  to  get  the  overtime.
I  just  wanted  to  get  home.
To  my  wife  and  kids.

People  here  say  why  don't  you  sell.
Some  of  the  bits  you  have  around  the  flat.
But  they  give  me  much  more  pleasure.
Than  money  ever  will.

Keith  Wilson.  Windermere.  UK.  2016.

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

10  WORDS.

I  watched  you  die.
There  was  nothing  I  could  do.

Keith  Wilson.  Windermere.  UK. 2016.

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

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

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

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

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!

The tale of the desert is uncovered
in 'The Oval Heart' film

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

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'm  in  the  room  in  which  she  slept.
With  a  pool  of  tea­rs  she  wept.

I  find  a  letter  she  left  for  me.
its  a  l­etter  I  really  don't  want  to  see.

she'll  only  want  to  say  good­bye.
Which  almost  certain  will  make  me  cry

I,ll  put  the ­ letter  safe  away.
To  read  upon  some  future  day.

When  th­e  memory's  diminished  in  my  soul.
And  her  memory  fading  ­old.

Keith  Wilson  Windermere  UK  2016.

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?

I was so sad to see you go

But that was what you wanted

I saw you sadly to your train
Knowing I’d never see you again.

No farewell kiss
No tender hug

Just a heart of pain
And a waiting train.

We hadn’t long together

Just a few short weeks

But as your train speeds fast away
I’ll remember them forever.

Keith  Wilson
2003

(published in 'Love and Life')

The squirrel was back
this morning
just as day was dawning
scrambling up a tree
fitter than you or me
looking out for nuts
There was no ifs or buts