Sherwood Times Poetry Book

 

Names To Live Forever

 

Can you see green shadows gliding by, 

Faintly hear a bugle horn. 

Picture deer grazing near by; 

Glades of fern in the morn. 

 

Can you see ' neath Sherwood's great oak tree, 

Famous hero Robin Hood, 

By him Little John so free, 

Outlaws of green Sherwood. 

 

Does your heart go out for lovers' true? 

Robin and Maid Marian; 

Wishing their sky always blue; 

Sheriff's an also ran.

 

Well then fill up your glass, toast their fame, 

All merrily together, 

Raise your glass in their good name,

Names to live forever. 

 

Many men speak of Robin Hood 

Who never shot in his bow, 

Many a man speaks of Little John

That never did him know.

Our Green Land

 

Planners will spot a nice green space; 

Diggers will move in at a pace;

 All of the trees both small and tall; 

Buried beneath an urban sprawl. 

Spring flowers weep tears of sorrow, 

For them they'll be no tomorrow; 

All those bright snowdrops cease to grow, Buried beneath the traffic flow. 

Bees will give up and cease to hum; 

Birds disbelieving so struck dumb; 

Blossoms will be dead and buried, 

Blooms under tarmac's coffin lid. 

Can you hear Robin's faint bugle call; 

From down the years it calls us all; 

Do not hand over our green land 

And save it from the spoiler's hand.

 

Our Green Belt

 

Planners bear away the bell, 

Spoiler's axe sounds a death knell, 

Not to late to right this wrong, 

Nature's bell calls everyone.

 

Gone will be our landscape green, 

Swifts and swallows will be has-beens, 

No more wind sighs through willows, 

Mighty oak trees we will lose. 

 

Sun no more shines o'er the lea,
Beaming gold through every tree, 

Songs of birds you will not hear, 

Sickening brook will fail to clear. 

 

Primroses no more displayed, 

Bush and hedgerow are betrayed, 

Cuckoo's call is a swan song, 

All our wildlife woe begone. 

 

Planners bear away the bell,
Spoiler's axe sounds a death knell, 

Not too late to right this wrong, 

Nature's bell calls everyone.

 

Roderick

 

I am a farm-yard rooster

Out roaming wild and free,

When I've had my fill

Of the pig-sty swill,

I hurry home for tea.

 

I chase the farmer's kittens,

And peck the dog called 'Greg',

Then I do a jig

On old porky pig,

And scratch him on his leg.

 

I squawk around the farmyard;

I poke and pry and peep,

And at half-past eight

I unlatch the gate,

And let out all the sheep.

 

The ducks and geese don't like me;

They nibbble at my legs,

For I had a fall

From the barnyard wall,

Which cracked their new-laid eggs.

 

Pursued by Tim the tom-cat,

Who almost caught me twice,

I frightened a mole,

Then fell down a hole

And woke up forty mice.

 

I know my hours are numbered

With Christmas Day in sight,

So with one last call,

'Cock-a-Doodle' all!

I really must take flight.

Proverbs

 

Who said: 'The world's your oyster;

All that glitters is not gold;

There's no fool like an old fool;

All truths are not to be told?'

 

'A rolling stone gathers no moss;

A stitch in time saves nine.'

Whoever said that: 'Talk is cheap,'

Is not a friend of mine.

 

'Too many cooks spoil the broth;

All's fair in love and war;

Love flies out of the window

When poverty comes in at the door.'

 

'Laugh and the world laughs with you;

Cry and you cry alone;

Blood is thicker than water;

Let the poor dog see the bone.'

 

These little words of wisdom

I heartily applaud.

'A little learning goes a long way;

The pen is mightier than the sword.'

 

Hypochondria

 

I've got a touch of toothache,

What's this - a double chin?

My hair has turned quite wiry;

My shoulders are too thin.

 

My neck is long and swan-like,

But face and head too small.

A protruding chin and lopside grin,

And guess what - that's not all!

 

These fingers have arthritis,

This foot a hammer toe.

My head is always spinnning

From my tragic tales of woe.

 

I'm looking for a potion

To cure my dodgy back.

It's a good thing I'm so healthy

And not a hypochondriac.

 

Superwoman

 

Here we go, another day!

No spare time to while away;

Mouths to feed and beds to make;

Slow down girl for goodness sake!

 

Rush down to the local store;

Hang out washing; clean the floor.

Children home for lunchtime break;

Slow down girl for goodness sake!

 

Wash the pots and make the tea.

Time is flying - goodness me!

Cat to feed and cakes to make;

Slow down girl for goodness sake!

 

Cleaning, sewing, scrimp and save;

Heading for an early grave.

Put your feet up; take a break!

Slow down girl for goodness sake!

Eternity

 

Come gentle night,

And with your velvet cloak

Envelop me within your deep serenity,

And shield me from the copious stars that glow.

 

Transport me to a shangri-la of rosy dreams,

Peace and love my only company,

And when the daylight hours creep slowly o'er the hills,

Abduct my soul, and make me part of thee.

 

The Snowdrop

 

Through paths of pale and watery light,

My eyes beheld a wondrous sight;

Bedecked in white and palest green

On fragile stem, a lovely scene

Of snowdrops in a sleepy hollow,

A winter sign of spring to follow.

 

And nestling beneath the trees,

Your bell flowers tinkling in the breeze,

In sweet perfection there you grow,

Through frost-filled nights and winter snow

You hang your head, subdued and shy,

In beauty that will never die.

The Happy Wanderer

 

I went to Pompeii

On a hot sunny day,

And shopped till I dropped in New York.

Had a villa so neat

In Rethymnon in Crete,

And got lost in the county of Cork.

 

I've wandered through Chile,

And the Isles of Scilly;

Seen the temples in old Katmandu;

Climbed the Eiffel in France,

Took a bit of a chance

On the back of a yak in Peru.

 

I salsa'd in Cuba,

Drank rum in Aruba;

Dropped coins in a fountain in Rome.

Madagascar was great,

But I just could not wait

To get back to the green fields of home.

 

Winner Takes All

 

Life is just a chess game

Of moving to and fro,

And as we make that certain move

Though friends may smile, or disapprove

On with the game we go.

 

Forward, sideways, backwards,

Till every piece has gone.

We play the board with verve and skill,

Though moving, we are standing still,

And only time moves on.

 

So play the game with fervour

Before it is too late;

For all the hopes and dreams and schemes

Of bishops, knights, and pawns and queens

We lose, you win - CHECKMATE!

 

Absolutely

 

After all he's tried his best, 

'Absolutely' now has to rest. 

Muttering feebly: 'It's not fair!',

He's been taken to intensive care. 

Misused, abused, over used, 

The strains too much, his light has fused. 

Was once a word endowed with power, 

Now he's meaningless, a faded flower. 

 

Appeals are made to the court; 

Compensation is being sought; 

Damage claims for gross misuse 

Not to mention lazy, lax and loose.

Accused are served with a writ; 

If they had put their minds to it; 

Had put effort and thought to their blurb 

Avoiding demise of this fine adverb. 

 

Convalesce will be full length; 

May not recover his full strength. 

While other words have sent their best; 

What he needs most is lots of rest.

The Tree of Life

We flourish on the tree of life,

Our branches warmed by sunshine's light;

And buds once locked in winter's bower

Burst forth into a spring-time flower.

 

And nourished by the mother tree,

Our flowers reach maturity;

We brighten up life's doom and gloom,

Resplendent as we reach full bloom.

 

Some say this is our finest hour

For beauty that has flower power;

Which gives delight to all who see

The magic in a summer tree.

 

But winds blow cold now autumn's here;

Our days of glory gone I fear,

As suddenly without a sound,

We tumble gently to the ground.

 

The beauty that was you and me

Is just a fleeting memory,

Though faded petals now impart,

A blossom in a loved one's heart.

Seasons

 

It's easy to be happy

With the sun upon your face,

When the birds are sweetly singing;

Roses blooming; bells a'ringing;

Faces beaming; daisies springing;

Hearts are light and hands are willing

In summer, when you long to be

A part of life's rich tapestry.

 

But blue days change to grey days

When the summer's dead and gone,

And a cold north wind is blowing;

Frost is pinching; nothing's growing;

Faces red and noses glowing;

Fingers tingling; when its snowing

Home is where you long to be,

By blazing fire, with pot of tea.

Sea-legs

 

O who would be a sailor

A-sailing out to sea?

Columbus would and Nelson would,

So many would -

Not me!

 

With feet on terrra firma

I stand and gaze with glee,

For who will help you cast away

And launch the boat -

Not me!

 

I'll gladly splice the mainbrace,

Scrub decks, or make the tea,

But as for sailing waters deep

On rolling seas -

Not me!

 

Who longs to be a sailor

A-gazing out to sea?

Free from strife; a wonderful life;

Who'll volunteer - Not me!

 

New Beginnings

 

When life seems cold and dreary

And people make you sad;

When all your dreams have disappeared,

And talk is cheap and bad.

 

When friends of old desert you,

And no-one seems to care,

And memories come flooding back

To fill you with despair.

 

Then look toward the future,

The best is yet to come!

The wind of change will blow the clouds,

And out will come the sun.

 

Away with care and sorrow;

You're here, alive and free;

Take comfort in the simple things -

A flower, a bird , a tree.

 

A light heart cannot carry

The burdens of the past,

So throw away all doubt and fear,

And make the good times last.

 

The world is full of promise,

The sky above is blue;

You have the power to change your life -

The rest is up to you.

 

Nostalgia

 

I remember, I remember

The days of long ago,

Of buttercups and daisies,

And running through the snow.

 

The sun filled golden meadows,

With skies forever blue,

Dancing fields of golden corn,

And early morning dew.

 

Whips and tops at Eastertime,

And marbles in the spring;

Skipping on a sunny day

Would make my young heart sing.

 

Catching tiddlers in the brook,

And frog spawn in a tin;

The bluebell carpets in the woods,

And song birds on the wing.

 

Sailing in an old tin bath

To the land of 'far away';

Hawthorn blossom in our hair;

We laughed and played all day.

 

Our days were always sunny,

And rainy days were few,

In golden times of yesteryear,

Which I now share with you.

 

Kismet

 

So much unsaid,

So much undone in life.

One tiny grain of sand

Blown around by the winds of time

Now gone!

And I am just a memory,

Held for safe keeping

In a loved one's mind.

 

Samantha

 

A pretty face without a doubt,

With small snub nose and feline pout,

And rounded eyes of palest green;

The finest queen you've ever seen.

 

But looks belie a cruel streak;

You make them run, you make them squeak.

Beware the huntress on the prowl,

The enemy of mice and fowl.

 

And when its time to take a rest,

You settle in your cosy nest,

And stretch and purr contentedly,

A picture of serenity.

Secret Garden

 

I have a secret garden,

Which I visit every day;

Where dappled rays of sun shine through

A canopy of oak and yew,

And poppies dance and sway.

 

A quiet, enchanted garden,

Freshly blessed by summer's rain,

Where foxgloves and sweet violets grow,

And butterflies flit to and fro

To song birds sweet refrain.

 

And when I'm feeling weary

Of life's haste, and waste, and crime,

I walk amongst the trees and flowers,

By shady nook, through leafy bowers,

And everything is fine!

First Love

 

A wish is what the heart makes

When love begins to fade,

For hearts are quickly broken

Like the promises you made.

I thought I had found true love,

Now you're happy with a new love,

But in my room when roses bloom

I'll think of you.

 

Love so right, burned so bright,

Now its gone, life goes on

Every day, come what may,

I'll be strong, I'll hold on.

And so my love forever

Though years may come and go,

You'll always be my first love

Because I loved you so,

And though you're not beside me

And I don't have you to guide me;

Here in my room when roses bloom

I'll think of you.

 

The Robin

 

How sweet the sound of Robin's song;

His music fills the air,

And cheers me when I'm feeling down

And gloomy with despair.

 

And perched upon the hawthorn bough,

Through rain and winter snow,

He rules supreme upon the scene

And takes on any foe.

 

O small courageous troubadour

In tiny scarlet vest.

Of all the birds in all the world

It's you I love the best.

 

Let the Sunshine In

 

Let clouds of grey roll away

And take life on the chin

Don't waste your life-time worrying

On things that might have been

 

Regrets are time consuming

They only bring you down

Be grateful for the things you have

Just stand and look around.

 

You have the greatest riches,

That money cannot buy

The flowers and trees and humming bees

The skylark soaring high.

 

The sunshine in the heavens

The cleansing shower of rain

Blue skies above; the power of love

These always stay the same

.

Who said it would be easy?

Of grief you've had your share

You've laughed and cried; put that aside

Be happy you're still here.

 

Fill every precious moment

And feel the joy within

When you open up your heart and let

The sun come shining in.

Dear Joe

 

I'm sitting in the park, dear Joe, 

Where we once strolled hand in hand, 

On a sunny day, some time ago, 

It all seemed so grand,

 

The world around seemed so fine. 

The swallows swooped high above. 

Our future hopes so filled our minds, 

We were so in love. 

 

And then sad-ness, had to part,

For duty called, you had to go. 

You will always stay in my heart, 

Always love you so.

 

I remember your smile that cheers, 

You said I was your true love, 

Still your good laugh rings in my ears, 

We were so in love. 

 

A call to arms took you away. 

Brave you were, they laid you low. 

There were others, yes I know, 

But you were mine, I loved you so. 

 

Mole Meets Water Rat

 

Across the river where the willows sigh; 

Above the water line, so snug and dry;

Blinkered a small but glittering bright eye.

I thought this hardly could be a small star; 

This little brown face gradually appeared; 

With small neat ears, whiskers and silky hair;

He said why don't you come over its not far. 

 

The water rat's boat shone like a new pin; 

Outside was painted blue and white within;

Just big enough to hold both of us in; 

Settled in the stern I was well away; 

Why can't it always be as good as this; 

If its as nice as this - goodness gee wiz.

 

I have to say its been a wonderful day; 

On the sleek and full, gurgling river, 

All a-shake, a-swirling a-shiver, 

As it bubbles, sparkles and gleams, 

So bewitching, entrancing it seems.

 

smile

 

If you smile, you'll make everyone's troubles seem few - its true. 

If you laugh, you'll find everyone starts to laugh too - with you. 

Grin and everywhere turns bright, and it makes things go so right.

 

If you smile, you'll find cloudy skies will soon turn blue - its true. 

If you laugh, you'll find bright sunshine will soon burst through - for you. 

Grin and gaily swing along, and your heart will sing a song. 

 

No need to look glum, you can take things as they come, 

For your troubles don't fear will soon disappear. 

So smile and smile and smile.