the poster

Caught in the Web now out in Paperback

Finally you will be able to purchase my novel in paperback.  I hope that you enjoy this.  I am still busy working on the next one...

Your Li'l Alice

This one's for Alice's Birthday Today:

Your Li’l Alice

Your little girl who’s twenty-one tomorrow

Roars off in her car with a glint in her eye

As you gaze back down the winding road of her life

Tears push themselves over your eyelids

And your heart swells with pride -

You recall the times, some hard, yet so easy

Like pictures flit through your mind -

The first cry, the first smile,

Those first few tottering steps -

A flash of willful temper

Eased by her laugh and her

Wet baby’s kiss -

The light in her eyes when Daddy comes home,

Chubby hands reaching towards you -

You melt at the memory.

The years have flown -

You recall her first school day,

The many school plays,

Naughty days,

Meeting with the teachers - all much the same,

Hardly easy

As your little girl makes her mark on the world -

Stubborn and brave,

Unique,

Rebellious -

Determined to fit into no-one else’s mould.

On the verge of womanhood you were there for her

Fighting her corner

Defending her from the world

Even as you watched her stumble through teen years of vodka

Spewing forth on the pavements of the City

And you nursed her through her first hangover -

Or waited with bated breath for her to come home -

She always did, as your love for her sent Guardian Angels

Wherever she went.

She sits on her pony now -

Disciplined and proud.

You wonder where the years have gone

You wonder what her tomorrow will be -

Yet knowing that your love will keep her

Firmly on her path -

Your courage embedded deep within her

Whatever the years may throw her way -

Just know she’ll never lose that part of her

That’s you.

Ode to a Leaf

Your green veins stand out against your skin
So fragile -
Your green juice within.
The wind blows hard
But you hold on tight
As your sisters flutter around you.

Raindrops nourish you,
Sunshine nurturing.
You shade me from the glare
With your beauty as I stare
Towards the sky
High
Above you clouds sit
Like wooly hats above your head.

Still you remain all the days of the summer -
Then as you grow older
Somehow your veins change to golden hue.
No longer needed to shade the sun
You fly away -
Chasing your sisters into a mulch
And nourish the Earth's new growth.

Photos of Southwick Walk

After the wonderful walk on Saturday I wondered if you'd all like to see some of the pictures I took around Southwick Estate.  This is more of an experiment really as I haven't posted any photos on here before.  So hope it works

3 Men on a Bummel?

Helpful Ladies

Walking the Dog

And off we go......

Southwick Park Wall

Can't keep up with you lot!

Bluebell Woods

Oak Before Ash - in for a Splash?

Where are we on the map?

Yes, more bluebells

Bluebells and sunshine - lovely!

And even more bluebells

Uphill homewards

Trees beside the old Southwick Road

Nearly home now

Catching up on gossip - two old nursing friends.

Southwick Post Office Tea Rooms

A well-earned cuppa

The Golden Lion

Yes, there were quite a lot of Bluebells

Dead trees in the bog

The Monster on the Hill

Lots of logs

I'm not sure why some of the photos came out in the wrong order.  It should have finished with the Golden Lion Pub.  Still, it gives a feel of the day.  Now,  two days later, the weather has reverted to wintery rain.

Open Mic' Night

"Mind the step"
Said the sign
Above the whine
of the music.

"I prefer," she said sweetly,
Her words dripping
Acid drops of spite,
"Country and Western -
It's so much better'n -
Lively."

Naively -
Sitting in the flour-dredged
Smoke-filtered bar
Wondering how far
You'd come to savour
The flavour
Of Air Drums
And Pot Plant songs,
When the man on the stage
Opened his mouth and
What fell out?
No, not his soul
But only a very pink
Tongue-like raffle ticket.

I asked you why -
And your reply?
"I only came out
For the cat food."

Walking in Southwick

We had a wonderful time this morning - got up nice and early and went for a walk around Southwick Estate.  The walk was organised by our friend, Martin, and the idea was to raise money for Naomi House which is a facility for children and young people who have not long to live.  Martin and Lez raised about £200 as well as giving us all a good excuse to get out into the lovely woods around Southwick Estate.

The bluebells are still in full bloom and now the trees are a beautiful bright green, so it was a lovely sight in the woods.  After the recent rains (too much), the ground was quite wet, but the fields were lush and our walking boots kept our feet dry.

Altogether, Mark and I walked 7.5 miles in just three hours.  Not bad for me.  We also had started the morning with coffee in The Golden Lion (thanks to Jane) and finished the morning with a huge mug of tea in the village Tea Rooms (thanks to Paula) and of course, as we were starving, we sampled a cheese and onion panini whilst we were there.

Now, with aching back (a bit) and feet slightly tingling still, we're off to The Fox and Hounds for our evening meal.

Oh, and I heard the first cuckoo today - and the swallows are out in force!

I just hope that today isn't just an oasis of sunshine in the very wet spring we're having and look forward to another good day tomorrow.