Yesterday
was a better day
to see my son
sitting in
the sushine

Felt touched by kindness
of good people in the world
Them I won't forget

I was once serenaded
by a love of mine
who
as a boy
put frogs into
his maiden aunts' beds
and caught bats
with a net

who
as a young man
broke his back on LSD
and had to learn to walk again

who tried to rescue me
when I was in deep shock
fought for me
followed me
then
after a period of eight years
remembered my birthday

a man who always
made me feel safe
and loved
and
nearly always
made me laugh

a man who worked for the homeless
where he caught
Tuberculosis
had a stroke
and sadly died
of lung disease
all within a few years

His love of music
and spontaneous laughter
will ever be in my heart

I miss him

The blueberries today
I must say
don't look as good
as they usually do
nevertheless
we can still
share the best
and leave rest

A  poem for Sheila

Such a lot to do
Such a lot to do
Such a lot to do

Thank goodness for you

January Rain


It was kind of soothing
Listening to the saturating rain
From inside  my window pane
I was glad to be in here
And not out there
I wish it would stop
It has been like this
On and off
Four days on the trot

Maggie Sorbie

Sounds vibrating
Resonating
Out

Routine changing
where people
may or may not be
where we expect them to be
Bewilderment will make me tired

It was a monosyllabic shock
when the luminous light went off
and the artist had to stop
drawing the train

Learned Haiku today
I've learned enough for one day
Time to go and play

It was good to be taken
out to lunch
on a rainy day
My daughter and I
shared a fish pie
at the Angel Inn
which is on a steep hill
The change of scenery
and a breath of fresh air
made all the difference
on that rainy day

November 4th 2018

Snowy slushy sleety
Freezing cold weather outside
Thankful for the warm flat
in which I live

Pink blossom petals
Blowing all around
Not making a sound
As they hit the ground

Lovely to see
From a cherry tree
I had forgotten how beautiful
Spring could be

Maggie   Windermere, UK

Was it a flock of starlings
or mistle thrushes
I saw murmuring for a moment
in the dark sky?

Realizing they were actually starlings
not mistle thrushes
I deleted them
from my mind

and watched as the starlings continued their orbit
to a warmer county

They are busy here at Birthwaite
Quality Care Commission
due on Wednesday
I think
Paperwork being brought up to date
I wonder what the report will state

Suddenly
in the last few weeks
staff members have increased
Wednesday came
but the
Quality Care Commission
did not
I had to laugh
a little

I never use an easel to paint
and now it seems no sense to me
to drink fermented drinks
I have never had a fracture
(touch wood)
for which I am doubly thankful

cat  the cat sat on the mat

Clatter and bang bang
living in a building site
It has to be done!

As the morning sun rose in the east
the sky was blue with a bright light

and the bees were busy,
encouraging us

            up
     get  
to

and collect the wine glasses
from the night before

The fountain felt like a frog

Olivia looked pretty
With her long blonde hair

Stepping over the stones
To meet me there

A butterfly fluttered by
It landed on her ear

Thinking it was a wasp
She cried out with fear

We went to Grange
for a change
When we got there
we enjoyed the sea breeze
and the warmth of the sun
on our knees
while sitting on the wall
of a new cafe
having lunch
The dry spell of the last few weeks
had changed the environment
and we needed some rain
When we got back
I had enjoyed the change
and I enjoyed the rest

I like to be early
I don't like to be late

I was wondering where Keith was
He's usually earlier than me

I  noticed Libby in the garden
enjoying the sunshine and the pleasant breeze

Within a few minutes Keith, Sean and Janet  all arrived
and that is why I am writing this poem

now

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"

Keith is eighty-five
and still alive
having had
a nice morning shower
he brought his walking stick
happily

The highlight
of my week
was having the opportunity
to give my son
a big hug

Returning to the river
where we go
several times a year
the water level
was really low

Remembering
Storm Desmond
had flooded right over
the bridge
which was then closed
for over six months
reminding me of an elephant

When the autumn sun is low in the sky
and flocking birds are flying by
rainbows can be seen
and sometimes it can feel like spring
but these bright sunny days are cold
and not hot

I couldn't help but see
the leaves
of the horse chestnut tree
were turning brown
sooner than the rest

On my return
I heard on the radio
that this was due to moss
recently killing
fifty per cent of them

No wonder we're going bonkers
looking for conkers

Wish for everyone-
All year 'round, not just Christmas
remember goodness

Ladybirds like scones
and I nearly ate one
the other day
Sheila picked it up
and put it on a tree
taking a photograph first
so you can believe me

“If it's meant to be it will be”
People say to me
I don't know why now
but I’ll see things
In a different perspective
somehow
in the future
When I am older.

Until I retired
I didn't notice

the colours of the dew on the grass
and the shape of the water droplets
the scent of the flowers after the rain
the greenness of the fields

Having more time to spare
I have noticed changes everywhere

Ten men made a den
In the fen for the hen
One of the men
Whose name was Ben
And who had a pen
Said
Do you ken what yen
You could get
For that hen
In the land of the zen

Maggie. Sept 2016

If you have
no theme
to think about
you are more
'in the moment'
as it takes place

A is for Apple
B is for Battle
C is for Cattle

Questions to be answered
Words understood
But do they make sense?
If not,
Explanations necessary
then the buts
may stop

In early morning
we heard an owl
Twitt a whooing

Opened the window
put some seed out for the birds
sat and drank my tea

Imagine

running along to a song
I have a stitch in my side

My woman's intuition
causes me to stop
for a while
and have a drink
of an inch of water

Feeling refreshed
I could now go on

Let's play 'Let's Pretend'
Find out
if it's real or not
A learning process

Not a poem
today
but a card
for a friend
who is not yet
seventy
but more than
sixty

After a longish walk
and lots of fresh air
we sat in the park
as it grew dark
eating chips
I couldn't have wanted more

We went to Rydal Hall
and saw the waterfall
ionising and refreshing the air
as we stood there

We did not stay long
deciding to move on to Chester's for lunch
We lost and then found our way
an hour later in the day

The food
was worth waiting for
very yummy
and thankfully filling my tummy

We walked along the river
again filling out lungs
with ionising
and refreshing air

On the way home
I was glad to say
that I had enjoyed myself
on this summer Solstice day

Early in the morning
it dawned on me
that somebody
had moved
into the flat
above me

Pop bottle
effervescence
speaking sense
not non sense
Don't spill it
and pour it quick
for the people
in the garden
playing bingo
trying to be
supercilious

I was reading and writing
about the magnetic fields
that surround the earth

In the low autumn sunshine
the illusions of colours change
as leaves leap and bound along the ground
leaving that last word- quantum -
out of the equation
altogether

The sky was a clear pale blue
As we looked around
The panoramic view
Two flocks of starlings
Flew above us
A special sight
In the early evening sunlight

Rediscovering music
Remembering
why where and when
I enjoyed it
In the first place

"My big sister Ann
was wrapped in a parachute
when she was born.
What was I wrapped in?"

"And I told Ann
that I had licorice
stuck up my nose
when I was young"
She said "Wasn't that me?"
Which one of us was it?