Peter Woodgate
Within
the labyrinth of time
The
world was ours both yours and mine
And
with it came the waters deep
The
mountains, and should we peep
Beyond
this sphere a show of light
The sun
by day, the moon by night.
What
more then could a man desire?
Too
late, you find with that small bite
The
knowledge that condemns all to eternal fire
(Written 37 years ago with the belief that mankind’s
Cumulative knowledge would lead to the destruction of our
planet)
The Riddler
Three friends went for a
meal. At the end of the evening, each
contributed £10 to the bill which came to £25.
They gave the waiter a £2 tip and each received £1 change:
So: they’d each
contributed £9. ~ £9x3 = £27
They gave a Tip to the waiter
£ 2
Total = £29
The guys started with £30
So whose got the difference?
Drop your explanation into the comments section...
By Rosemary Clarke
I'm
brought up here inside my sty
And all they want is for me to die
To face the fear and a machine
I wet myself, it is so mean.
Electrics stun us into submission
For on your plate's our body's mission
We live, not for love, but for food,
Life for us may be short, but good.
Would you see your children so?
I think that's a resounding ' NO!'
To see us all hanging there,
Do you really have no care?
We're trodden underfoot, like twigs.
Be kind to us, we're only pigs.
Don't we deserve a life as well
Instead of this horrific Hell?
Copyright Rosemary Clarke
Jane Scoggins
The
little boy was in awe of the lady with the big hat. Henry had never been to a wedding before and
he had never seen such a large hat. Henry guessed it must be a hat because it
was on the lady’s head. He had seen grandpa’s flat cap and the yellow hard
hats of the workmen on the building site near his house. He also had his own
experience of wearing a stripey beany hat in cold weather. But the hat in front
of him was something quite different and needed a lot of looking at to gain as
full an understanding of it as possible. He tried to make some sense of it.
There was a lot to take in. The wide brim of the hat was loaded with flowers of
different colours, Henry counted five different colours, but thought there may
be more that were hidden. Without actually reaching up to investigate more
thoroughly Henry could not be certain. The hat had a wide round brim that
shaded the lady’s face so he was not sure if she could see him gazing at her.
This was just as well as he had been told, on more than one occasion, that
staring at people was rude and they generally didn’t like it. The brim Henry
thought was rather like the big china plate that grandma had on her dining room
wall. He had often stood and stared at that too as he could not imagine why a
plate would be on the wall and not on the table or in the cupboard. One day as
he stood staring at it Grandma had explained that it was the meat plate that
had belonged to her own grandmother. She had very happy memories of big Sunday
dinners with all the family around the table. It was old and fragile now and
grandma wanted to keep it safe. She had thought it best to put it on the wall
where everyone could see it and she could remember her Grandma every time she
looked at it. The flowers on the hat reminded Henry of his grandad’s garden in
the summer. Grandad said that the flowers were to be enjoyed by sitting in the
garden amongst them and only very occasionally allowed Grandma to cut a few to
put in a vase or give to Henry’s mum on her birthday, which was in July. Many
times Henry had sat on the garden bench in the summertime with Grandpa sipping
his mug of tea. They would sit watching the bees and butterflies hovering in
and out of colourful petals of the flowers and blossoms.
When
Henry’s mother noticed that he was staring at Mrs Ponsonby Smyth’s so long and
so intently she called him away and took him with her into the little village
church and sat him next to her on the pew. She was relieved to see that Mrs
Ponsonby Smyth was sitting in a pew ahead of them so that if Henry continued to
be obsessed with gazing at her most extraordinarily over the top creation of a
hat, at least she would not see him staring fixedly at her. Henry’s mother
and at least half of the congregation
would also have liked to stare at the creation on Mrs Ponsonby Smyth’s head
that dominated most of the space around her in the diminutive church, but knew
that it would be very bad manners and therefore resisted. Henry’mother was not
the only person in the church that day that felt a bit sorry for the ladies who
had decorated the flowers in the church for the wedding, as Mrs Ponsonby
Smyth’s hat far outweighed their more modest arrangements.
The wedding service went ahead and Henry’s
mother was relieved that Henry, who was not accustomed to attending church, sat
quietly, and did not attempt to chatter.
All the while, whilst hymns were sung and prayers said. Henry was
thinking and trying to remember something. And then it came to him in a flash.
He had worked out what it was about the big hat and what it meant to him. In
his enthusiasm to share his understanding and in sheer relief that he had
worked it out, he stood up and in a temporary silence whilst the congregation
bent their heads in prayer, he said in a loud and clear voice
‘
CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG HAT’
There was a ripple of stifled laughter throughout the church. Mrs Ponsonby Smythe was the last to realise what it was all about and when she did, sat down and looked embarrassed. Fortunately, the service was at an end and the organist was able to strike up with the wedding march, and with all stops out the beautiful music filled the church and with the sun streaming in through the open doors the bride and groom turned from the altar to walk arm in arm down the aisle to the sound of clapping and music. The bride halted near Mrs Ponsonby Smythe as she remained sitting. Reaching down to her she said:
‘Thank you for coming Aunty May. Chitty
Chitty Bang Bang was the first of many films you took me to as a little girl
and it has always been my favourite. Thank you for those memories on my special
day.’
Mrs
Ponsonby Smyth touched her niece's hand briefly and smiled. As the bride and
groom swept down the aisle, Mrs Ponsonby Smyth tilted back her head and smiled
at those around her. Everyone smiled
back and a happy chattering congregation left the church for the reception.
Henry and Mrs Ponsonby Smyth were seated near
each other at the reception where, in between mouthfuls of cake, they had the
opportunity to chat about favourite films.
Copyright Jane
Scoggins
By Rosemary Clarke
Your
minds are filled with hopes and dreams
All those ideas, all those schemes
Ignorance thwarts you if it can
Be you woman or be you man.
Don't
believe the others tales
If you do you're bound to fail.
Not the colour, age or sex
Don't let your friendship be next!
In
each other have belief
All your feelings underneath
To your own selves be so true
Look to the future both of you.
Always
have each other's backs
Whatever way you take your track.
Learn about each other's ways
That way you'll have happy days.
Give
each other space and care
All of the time and anywhere.
Keep each other safe and sure
That way your love will not be poor.
Keep
the friends who give you wealth
Of friendship's eternal health.
Together you can beat the rest
This is true love's deepest test.
Listen
to your own heart's beat
Not the voices in the street
Nor the doubts inside your head
Put there by folks who fear and dread.
In
deepest anger take a while.
Remember all your warmest smiles.
Keep your own hearts open wide
Then through the many years, you'll find
You understand each other's minds.
You
have a lifetime to discover
If you are mates, or friends or lovers
Perhaps a blessed mix of all
Is what you'll get when love will call.
Copyright
Rosemary Clarke
By the Barefoot Medic
I’ve heard all the clever
methods like swallowing ice, putting a key down your back, leaning over
backwards. But in my experience, there is
only one effective way to stop a nose bleed (light or heavy).
Between the ages of 3 and 11, I suffered from sudden unexpected nosebleeds. Initially, I had one a week. The family doctor showed my parents how to stop them. I of course couldn’t help but learn how to do it.
I found that after 5 minutes I could gently blow my nose and clear out the residue. I had a bleed in 1964 and the last one in 1973. Doctors never did discover the cause but, I’m told that children and the elderly are the most susceptible.
I know
it works on me. But, if in doubt consult
your physician
By
Carole Blackburn
Joseph Walter Halliday blinked deliberately as his rheumy blue eyes
glanced towards the boating lake in the park. While sitting on his usual bench
at the same time in the afternoon. His previously sun kissed blonde hair was
now the colour of well-trodden snow. Together with his wiry beard, which was
easy to tend to. The “can’t be bothered” style suited him inwardly.
His familiar jokey self had departed swiftly after she had left. He
was always slumped inwardly and his lined troubled face, today, was quietly
silent.
Peering down at his gnarled fingers as they weakly gripped his
tortoiseshell rimmed glasses, he shivered as his mind searched for his warmer
“Salad days”. His outward appearance
showed to the outside world, he was deeply old. He was no longer on trend in
his attire. Faded denims, a brilliant white cotton Tee-shirt, waistcoat, and
desert boots would have been his daily uniform. But now he was wrapped up
against the weather. The navy Macintosh was buttoned high. It hid the hand
knitted cable cardigan; she had made for him last Christmas and the chequered
fleece shirt was useless against his inner iced soul. His selective hearing
was getting choosier according to his daughter. But hearing aids were for the
Deaf, according to Joe.
He blinked but glanced away, as others in the park strolled and passed
him. No connection was safer and it hurt less, he thought. If he had spoken,
his yellowing buckled teeth would have wiped a smile off your face. Although he was presentable to others, they would have been aware at a closer distance
his odour which was in need of attention. As with his hearing, Joe’s sense of
smell had faded. Previously, he would have spent as much time as any teenage
girl, preparing himself, for her. Everything would have been fresh and new
about Joe on a daily basis. But it was not necessary, he felt now. His
perspective in life had crashed out of all recognition with his younger self. However,
he would never lose sight as his experiences wrinkled his face as he peered
into the future.
Copyright Carole Blackburn
(A descriptive piece written before joining RLWG)
