This Winter
we've discovered Humphrey's Head a bird sanctuary
This Winter
only one puddle of ice
This Winter
we saw daffodils in January
This Winter
we waited but did not see droves of flocking birds in the early evening
Perhaps next year I'll see salmon jumping

Clatter bang bang
The creaky floorboards are now all gone

A crew of poets crunching crisps
wondering what to write
Speaking through coffee sips
feeling quite alright
(but just not very bright)
The poem that they're looking for
is staying out of sight
Keith says “We've written all of them
there's nothing left to write”
Then Maggie says
"A good night's sleep
might help us see things
in a different light"

We headed north to Keswick
for a change
to go to the stone circle
at Castlerigg
We hadn't been there in some time
As it started to get dark
the shadows from the stones
became parallel
geese flew above in formation
low flying jets circled around
low to the ground
There was a wonderful awareness
or the meeting
or ancient and modern

Technology
is still
Double
Triple
and
Quadruple
Dutch
to me

Everything came to a halt
Shift schedules
routines and rotas
all stopping and changing
for a week or two
There was lots of
rushing before
relaxing during
and now
we are on our way back to normal

Christmas
is a time for peace on earth
and good will to all men,
they say
Why can't it be like that
every day?