Summer days are past and gone,
And colder days now hurry on.
The lily draws her  tender bloom
deep into the cloudy gloom, and
soft mists risen in the night,
turn to frost at dawns first light.
In the margins of the pond
The ice holds fast the frozen frond,
and under hill the mole curls tight,
safe and warm throughout the night,
pink paws, pink nose, a velvet coat,
all safely hidden from the stoat!
The swans, clothed in their purest white
glide, like ghosts in black of night
as safely on the lake they sleep,
while the coot and moorhen peep
in their dark and sombre suits,
from the tangled willow roots.
The fox that cunning red marauder
creeps stealthily along the border,
as the weakling winter sun
Announces a new day begun.

The wind sighed in the rigging
and the sea murmured deep.
Better get some rest my bully boys
for you’ll get but little sleep.

Wind devils whistled a warning
halyards thrummed in the blast,
better take in sail afore the gale,
came the order at long last.

Up aloft and lively!
reef the main in hard.
claw it in and hold it,
lash it to the yard.

Heed not the winds drear moaning,
nor yet the thundering sea,
but cling to the mast
in the icy blast,
for it hath the strength of a tree.

Take shelter now my hearties,
for there’s little can be done,
the tempest’s force drives us from our course
and we’ll have to turn and run.

As the night grew black and thunder
drowned our weary sighs,
we ran ‘fore the storm and hoped,
for a sight of the mornings skies.

When the words won't come
I feel numb, empty inside
On a slow ride
Wanting to go faster

I sit waiting, for stimulus, motivation
Any sign of animation
in this head of mine
Waiting for the literary spark

My mind drips like a tap, drip, drip
Everything in slo mo
Need the words to grow
Blossom, bloom

Then

It hits me
A seed, a kernel
I feel the infernal rattlings
Of cogs that begin to turn

I feel it, a flutter, a thought
Emerging like a butterfly
Words multiply
I write

The words spill like a waterfall
Soaking my senses, breaking down fences
I am hydrated again

I'm cold
You have taken everything from me
Stripped me of what's mine
Left me curled in a ball of despair
You take what you want
Not even realising what you are doing to me
You turn your back on me
You ask for more I give you more
I ask for little I get none
Next time I'll buy a bed with the quilt nailed on!

Dead of night just as rehearsed
so many times o'er England's green fields
D Company, show no fear
A band of brothers flying high
Families waiting, home fires burning
Hoping to see their brave men once more

Gliders silent, Deadstick begins
Pegasus and the Sword await their fates
Take bridge and beach at any cost
Enemy waiting, will not go gently
They must be ours
Must be taken

Battle hard, blood is spilt
Both sides lose good friends, brothers
Success is ours but at a price
But we all know freedom is
The most precious thing we have

Pegasus Bridge, Sword Beach,
just 2 of many places
etched on our memories today
It all began here, liberation
70 years ago this very night
Brave young men
Strong and true

We give our thanks, god bless them all