Feeling Fearful

Feeling fearful for the first time

Virus vectors very close

Insidious infection in the air

Vestiges of virus very near

Social spacing so hard to do

Socialising so scary too

Taking care to take more care

Feel the fear far and near

Prompted by a headline in the Guardian and an increased personal sense of fearfulness with respect Covid19. 

25.9.20

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/24/stark-warning-to-us-all-uk-reports-record-number-of-covid-cases?CMP=twt_gu&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=&__twitter_impression=true

Conkers

Conkers green and spiky

Conkers high above

Dangle from the branches

Like ancient weapons of war

Waiting for the wind to blow

And wrench them from their seat

To bounce and split upon the ground

To birth a shiny copper orb

A sleeping beauty glowing brown

So smooth and handsome 

Spawned from an ugly child

Awaiting boys and girls to find 

And secret adults too

To touch and smell and marvel at

To gather keep and to admire

To run your fingers through 

To enjoy their perfect form

To drill a hole and thread on string

To dangle in defiance

To challenge other conker folk

To smash your burly orb

To swing and string and bash and bonk

Until the cracks appear

And challenger is split apart 

To crumble in defeat

And there we have in victory 

A one’er, two’er more

Hard, Invincible and battle scared

The victor a hundred’er 

A conker giant survives to fight again

To age and harden 

For next years challenge

To sleep in a drawer

It’s that time of year, autumn and the Conkers have started to fall. 

13.9.20

Autumn Morning

Grey mist shrouds the land

Rays of Autumn sun struggle

Birds silent cowering

Silence blocks the sound of life

Cars edge through clinging grey

Lights glimmer through the murk

An acorn drops unseen unheard

Inspired by the thick fog this morning.

29.9.20

One Shade of Grey

One shade of grey today 

Dark grey dominating clouds

Leaden clouds of grey

The grey weighs heavily today

One shade of grey today

Will it be grey all day today

Maybe wind will blow away

The grey sky of today

One shade of grey today

Even rain is grey today

Will it wash away the grey

Or will it be the wind 

That blows away the grey

Yet another poem inspired by the weird mixed weather we are having this summer. After a couple of sunny early morning rises, this morning was dark and very grey. Hence the words. I am not sure if it's allowed but I finished off with a one-line verse if that is what you call it! I started off calling it 40 Shades of Grey but chickened out!

21.08.2020

Rain

Rain is dancing drippily on the roof

Gathering into the gurgling gutters

Splashing down the water spouts

Waiting in the water butts for a dry day

To emerge again in gulps for the garden

Wiggly wandering from the watering can 

To give a drink to parched plants, weeds and worms

Inspired by the evocative sound of rain falling on the conservatory roof and gurgling down the gutter whilst I drink my morning coffee.

27 July 2020

Drizzly Dawn

Drizzle drops delicately down

Drenching damp dour droplets

Damp dripping dreary dawn

Prompted by another dreary drizzly day.

Thursday 16th July 2020

Woman Child Backpack

Woman and Child carrying Backpack
Holding hands, hurrying, coats a akimbo
Where are they going, why?
She looks strained, sad, worried
Is she coping, are they alone
Scared, depressed, frightened
That’s how they look
Difficult times at the best of times
Bills to pay, jobs to find
Benefits so hard to get
How do you cope from day today
All on your own with just a child
No one to ask, no one who cares
No one who loves no one to love
It makes me sad to see them so
I want to help but how?

I am moved to write by the sight, whilst driving to the shop's this morning, of a young mum and her child who was carrying a Backpack. The sight evoked an emotion in me, it was something that may have gone unnoticed in normal times, but we are in week 6 of the Covid19 lockdown and emotions are starting to run high.

1st May 2020

Spring Springing

A lifeless twig or so it looks 
All brown and dry and looking dead 
But no it’s sprouting little sprouts 
Bright green and furled and bursting buds 
Nature springs from cold dark days 
To seek the sun and warmth and air 
That heralds new days and weather fair 
And then the frost falls harsh and cruel 
Snipping off those too tender shoots of promise 

Inspired by the inevitable arrival of Spring

8/4/19

Mr Robin

Delightful flutter scarlet breast

Alights beside me as I dig

Fearless friendly brave and bold

Mr Robin a friend of old

Trusting innocent and daring do

Reassuring chirping song

Sharing worms as we both dig

Such trusting friendship his to give

Originally written on Christmas Day 2016 inspired by the occasion and the time of year. But I am publishing on my Blog, Easter 2020 because in the last couple of weeks, Mr Robin has become an important part of my daily routine in the garden. We have a chat, well I speak to him and he listens, and when I am digging he is never far from the action ready to dive in for a wiggly worm. Thank you friendly Mr Robin who graces my garden the year-round for your friendship in these troubled times.

Written: 25th December 2019 Updated: 10th April 2020 

To Shed a Tear - An Emotion Unexplained

To shed a tear 
Is nature’s way
Of telling us
Of something we don’t understand
The sound of music
A kindly act
The show of caring
A poignant act

To shed a tear 
Comes, from deep within 
We can’t control
The tear that starts to roll
Down one's cheek
At special times
That touch the heart 
Some-thing within
Just, wells up

Nostalgic moments
Lost in thoughts
We think of those
No longer here
Of those too frail 
We have to care
For those alone
No one to care
No one to care

Intake of breath
Almost a sigh
You feel the… 
The tear form 
In your eye
Those times 
When you can’t help but
shed a tear 
An emotion unexplained

Alistair Parker
2nd January 2015

Inspired by an increasing tendency to find myself tearing-up on the most unlikely occasions, often the result of a simple act of kindness. 

UPDATE 9th April 2020: Although this was written 5 years ago it is even more poignant at the current time. There are so many occasions when one feels emotionally overwhelmed. I had to renew my Car insurance a few days ago. I thanked the young lady who dealt with it on the phone for her kindness and immediately burst into tears and had a good sob! I am tearing up typing this…

No Knead Bread

No need to knead the bread I’ve found.
No need to stretch and knead and knead.
Mix the flour, the yeast and water.
No need to knead them like you aughter.
Just mix and turn till good and mixed
You need to wait a while to rise.
A while I wait just overnight.
Turn the oven right up hot.
To heat and covered cast iron pot.
Not long now, just need to turn it out.
On floury top no need to knead.
Turn it over tuck it shape it gently make a ball.
Take the pot all nice and hot.
Lift the lid and pop it in no need to knead.
It won’t be long, it’s rising up.
You need to wait, take the top off
Crisp the crust all brown and cracked.
Turn it out it needs to cool the no knead bread
A simple treat that’s great to eat.
You need to wait is nearly there.
Your no knead bread is crisp and round.
It's simple wholesome just what you need
You’ve found the bread, you don’t need to knead.

Alistair J Parker
14.2 2014

The poem was inspired by my success at making bread. After a number of failures, I
discovered the “No Knead” method. Not a good one for a Dyslexic, I desperately want to write Kneed! If you want to know more, Google it.

Just Another Day

Day dawns

What day is it?

Does it matter? 

It does but doesn't

Much like any other

Doom gloom

Ah, the papers

Must be Sunday

But could be Monday

Come day go day

More bad news

New day, blue day

What comes next?

Grass is growing

Blossoms blooming

Birds don't know what day it is

Birds don't care

Two Blackbirds share a worm

Gather sticks to make a nest

And lay their eggs

Flap and life moves on

Robins bopping up and down

Cheeky, cheerful, chirping

Not a frown

Pecker up and chest puffed out

Another day will dawn tomorrow

Life goes on for some at least

The dour and glum will fade away

The dawn will dawn another day

Composed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when felling a bit low, in response to watching the birds whilst drinking my morning cup of coffee.

15.3.20