A spiral of DNA
a blade of grass
a spark of interest
in a competition
distorting vision
leaving
a surface
of peace

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

"If you don't use it you will lose it"
they say
Walking running swimming
hiking and cycling
take the potato out the door
When you have it for tea
you'll enjoy it
even more

Creating a void
by spinning around
in a blaze
making a sound

It took a minute or two
we found
to hear the sound
and to sing with it

I could write a poem about
an old rogue
friend of mine
or
about a fish
in shallow water

Because it would take
a lot of time
to write the rhyme
about the rogue
I decided to leave
the writing
for another day

I saw my grandsons
yesterday
we had some fun
They were
pressing their noses
against the door pane
and pulling faces

When the air is full of water vapour
It looks prehistoric to me

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

I could see
a squirrel in the tree
or was it three
They were going on a spending spree
just like me
when I buy brie
or some fish from the sea
I'm making a
plea
to get my front door key
so I can cook my tea
for you and me

Refrain from squinting

lens have been invented

many moons ago, now

you can wear them

even in the wildest of weathers

thankfully

“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.

Flying insects
on that bush over there
Butterflies bees wasps
worker bees or drones?
on the pink flowers
I shall draw them
for my niece's wedding
one at a time
with some sweet peas

When I see
a forget-me-not
it makes me think

Raindrops on the grass
I went out to pick a flower
The fresh air felt good

On this horrible
wet and windy day
I was glad to have
somewhere to go
and play

My son
is going to walk
out of the hospital

The grass is greener now
after the scorching summer sun

Green is a mixture
of blue and yellow
two of the three
primary colours
The leaves are usually green
and the flowers
are usually
more colourful
such as
the third primary colour
which is red

The sun comes out to play
Enjoy the vitamin D
I hope it will stay

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

White anenome
standing out in the garden
the first this season

"It's an enigma"
my cool friend-blood sister said-
why bubbles burst

From where I have been

Nowhere is as beautiful as spring in England

from what I have seen

I just noticed that
all the branches of the trees
move in harmony

Despite commotion
I could hear wild geese flying
Lovely sound to hear

Everywhere we go
Ivy is spreading tendrils
Please, what can we do?

Twelve o'clock midday
the workmen are downing tools
Oh what a relief!

Will she or won't she
come and cut my hair today
Still wondering when

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

I saw a hedgehog yesterday
on the road
out during the day
when they are usually nocturnal
It reminded me of years ago
when I saw my first hedgehog

What grows in the hedgerows?
Elderflowers and nuts
Mushrooms and wild garlic
Raspberries and blackberrie
Rosehips and nettles
Among many other edible things
That we can pick and gather
Freely since time immemorial
Thank you Planet Earth

It rained a lot
in the last week or two
The gloomy weather increasing
as the hours of daylight
are receding
However
in two weeks time
thinking positively
the sun will be
heading back
our way
up north
and it will soon be spring

When the ground freezes
its surely good
to find shelter
and the flare of a fire
to keep us nice and warm

It's a magical place
The views are
Among the best I've ever seen
You can feel the wind blowing in your hair
The amazing gardens
Mingling with the natural world all around
Where the dinosaurs would have roamed

I spy bluebells in March, I think
The white snowdrops are wilting
And the yellow daffodils are blooming
As are the crocuses
In beautiful shades of purple and yellow
There is warmth in the sun
That my body welcomes
I have missed this

And you can tell it’s spring
When the birds are nesting
And the bees are buzzing
And the flowers are blooming
There is warmth in the sun
As we welcome it back here
To our hemisphere


Maggie      March 2016

Hush descended
as the white quiet snowflakes
fell yet again

I don't understand computers
technology, mobile phones-
things that are not tangible
but
I do understand
nature's cycle
like the journey leaves undergo
from falling off
in the autumn
and
reappearing
in the springtime
as buds and blossoms,
migrations and hibernations
of birds and animals,
all interdependent
on each other
and their environment

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

Sweet meadow
otherwise known as
'Cow Parsley'
is growing abundantly
on the road verges
in this last week of May

I don't know why
I had a little chuckle to my self
as I thought
"Can I eat it?"

I am truly thankful
for the kindness
of some strangers
and friends
spontaneously
offering
help

Confused
by the word
'syzygy'
I innocently
looked out
of the glass window
lifted my head
liltingly
and wondered
where my coins were
instead

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

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

living at Birthwaite
can be an obstacle course
in all the hallways

We jostled down the elevator
Only to discover
That there were no other bards
In the lounge
Wondering where they were
And hoping to see them next week

There were birds and there were bees
There were flowers and there were trees
Blowing in the breeze
There were brightly-coloured male pheasants
With sharp beaks
And camouflaged female pheasants
On the ground, all around
There were reed beds stretching
As far as the eye can see
They were there before the land
Was covered with forests
Now being given a hand by man
To protect the wildlife

Maggie

News headlines forecast:
'Very dry hot weather'
Suddenly
storm clouds appear from nowhere
Switching the headline:
'From as far back as the Bronze age
weather still mystifies us all'

Not a lot of mud to see
the ground is drying up
eventually

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

"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?