Whether you learn to keep your calm
or throw a wobbly type of panic
Where you choose to scream after
well that is optional.

Whether you choose to voice an opinion
or just to hold your tongue and stay silent.
But afterwards moan to yourself all day.
well that is optional.

Choosing your mid-week food shopping
whether it be best neck of lamb
or the most expensive cut of meat
well that is optional.

Being polite, knowing one's place in the room
Being nice and agreeable, the perfect host.
Being the nicest person in the world
That is important.
But for some optional.

Tomorrow, if you are a mum
Put your feet up and rest
Because you are worth it
and you are the best.
To all mums - Happy Mother's Day for tomorrow.

These shaky fingers I possess
Can paint a fantastic tree
They serve their purpose I guess
It's how things are meant to be.
It is with love in my heart
That I cling on to some hope.
Maybe one day my fingers will be still
Not only will I be able to cope
But I will have a stronger will.
But then the tree will be straight
and it wont look at all realistic
But then the tree awaits its fate
I will not be apologetic.
So it is a toss up, straight or still
I really dont care if my fingers shake
I love painting trees on a misty hill
or the reflections around a lake.
That is settled then, perfection.

Bluebells and forget me nots
That summer dress with big white spots.
My mood after a really sad play
The smell of the sea on a rainy day.
My ink on a romantic card
Pebble dashed shells crumpled and hard.
Blue eggs from rather dashing hens
The unforgettable blue biro pens.
Blue films not for the feint hearted
Shiny blue butterflies for the departed.
Why do blue sweets taste the best
Obviously because they are better than the rest.
Blue oh I love blue skies
and most of all I adore blue eyes.

THE SIMPLE TALE OF A FOX
As the fox swept his porch
with his bright orange tail
It reminded him he must get a torch
In the coming summer sale.
The badger family had a few
Tucked by their nearest tree
In fact they had two
Or it might have been three.
I digress, the tail turned brown
Dust was the culprit to be fair
Which was a bit of a comedown
That’s the drawback of orange hair.
He whistled while he swept
Foxes have music in their soul
Unfortunately the dust crept
Towards the badgers clean hole.
Out he shot like a bat out of hell
The badger not at all pleased
But the fox had bid his farewell
When the badger had a massive sneeze.

Colours of ruby, jasmine and pink
Pour into my window
Touching my soul, stroking my skin
Scorching the cheek of the peach
Warming the bird in the cage.
Bringing happiness within.
Pouring into the shadows
From violet to red.
Rays of sunshine.

As a mother of two grown up sons
I have always felt proud of my boys.
What is a mum?
A friend till the bitter end.
A support when times get tough.
I am the money tree at the bottom of the garden.
They confide in me,
We laugh together
Joke together
But above all and everything else
We all love each other through thick and thin.
Rough and smooth.
Day and night forever and ever.
I am so proud of my sons, so very proud.

As a watercolour artist
I drift into my world of colour
Watery stains from an indigo blue
An icy drop springs into view
A transparent green
nowhere to be seen
Has merged with umber
and for a tree to slumber
Wide awake, stand by your bed
here marches a military red
Stiff upper lip has he
as he merges with blue for a tree
Shadows passed, a ray of gold splashes
in the well, into the watery washes.
The long paint driven brush
has now seen quite enough
So it is back to the pallette for a while
Well for me, I am left with a smile.

Approaching May
As the time on this planet marches
Full steam ahead towards May
We should look around us
Appreciate what we have today,
The robin singing on the post
With his famous red jacket
Like a postman whistling
Posting his brown packet.
Then there is the rain
The usual April showers
Pouring down, brollys out
It goes on for hours.
Then we have the buds
Of our bluebells
Nature’s way of casting
Magical spells.
Enchanting our woods
With stars of blue and white
Oh to be in England in April
What a wonderful sight.

Up there far, far away
Where the atmosphere is strange
In a sparkly milky way.
There is a star, a violet star
Lemon insides burns deep
A sharp intake of breath
Pierces its inner core
Falls to its death
and is no more.
Up there far, far away
A violet cloud drapes
There was a star, a violet star
Where mist stlll escapes
from moonbeams in a jar.

They divided it up
Not in equal pieces
A bit too much for him
Too little for her.
In my tea cup
Leaves lie in creases
Loads around the rim
Now in the saucer.
The tea leaves read a story
Told by my fairy godmother.
The tale was rather gory
So I said not to bother.
But it went on, the story I heard
Did not stop, never to cease
I listened hard, a lively tale
A story of my life, with no peace.
But it was a good life
I did not fear or complain
All I wanted was a little peace
to live my life once again.
I will get that chance, in my next to come
When I am a rainbow looking down
My colours will be brighter than some
and I will not wear a frown.
I got my peace, on a golden hill
Where the water laughs
and time stands still.
Yes I got my peace, oh very yes
Where the waters laugh and
time stands still I guess.

Listen to yourself
And fall head over heals in love
With yourself.
Learn to respect your body
Filling it with good things
Listening to good stuff.
If it is full of bad *******
Then it is reflected.
Fill a bath with ***** water
and your skin will scream.
Fill it with hope from paradise
coconut oil, strawberries and cream
Then it will glow and you will flow
like crystal clear waters of porcelain.
Listen to music that beats with your heart
The pace not a race is important.
Learn to love yourself like a lullaby
Then you will be filled with happiness
and very little will you cry.
Fill your world with promises,
Do your best - it is for you.
Fill your dreams with hopes
and make these two come true.
You are important in this world
You can make a difference believe me
You are beautiful, look for the good
Look for the things you do not see.
For they are there. Bring them out
Those that dont, well they are funny folk
Life is to be lived, seriously lived to the full
You only get one shot, and that's no joke.
I am not saying go to the extreme, just look
learn and sing a lover's lullaby
If you do it then you will be pleased with yourself
and that you have helped yourself and had a try.

Sands sparkling
Green bubbly seaweed draped over a rock
Salt lines marking
A washed up gentleman’s flip flop.
Sweet wrappers, remains of tea leaves in plastic cups
Half eaten jam sandwiches for the sea gulls to peck
Deck chairs stacked neatly in rows and stripes
Boats desperately in need of a  repair check.
The same old flag a flying over an outgoing tide
Cockle hunters and winkle pickers knee deep in slush
Jellied eels, don’t  know how that came about
Children with “kiss me quick” hats in a mad rush.
Trays of stewed tea once again frog marched by dads
Buckets and spades sold in the thousands to
Cute frilly bathed girls and” got to dig deeper”  lads!
Grandparents with knotted hankies on their heads
Stockings rolled down to reveal white shiny knees
“just sit there Grandma, don’t say a word”
I’ll bring you lollies and trays of sandy, luke warm teas.
At the end of the day, the beach was an art form
Displaying hundred of castles and stylish shapes of sand
It brought prosects of a healthy red skinned glow
To return home thinking you were tanned.
You’d had a good day at the beach,  and now you’re  done in
Just relax now with your pint of beer, bingo to look forward to
A handful of fish and chips and screaming kids to quieten
Dreaming of tomorrow, another day on the beach to get through.

I used to stand, dreaming
I could win that brown bear
Only takes three darts, top scores
To win, at the local fair.
Or a fish, I would have liked that
An orange thing in a plastic bag
Or hook-a-duck, a chance to win
Perhaps a new toy or wave a flag.
The smell of onions frying all day
Hot crispy potato skins enticing
The unmistakable aroma of doughnuts
With different kinds of icing.
The thrill and fear of the ghost train
With dangly things in your face
Screams, sighs, a creepy hand touching
I loved that very creepy place.
The helter skelter, skimming on a mat
Winding to the bottom with a smile
Then queuing for ages once again
Strangers in a single file.
The fair, money for this and that
Oh I wanted that teddy bear.
Eventually I got him, my new friend
Sitting there with his short brown hair.
A reminder of days when fun was fun
Screeches, screams and music very loud
They’d play the number one in the charts
To a very approving fun loving crowd.
So with my short lived fish in a bag
My bear and tummy full of candy floss
My pockets with no money just tissues
Smeared with onions and tomato sauce.
I’d head back home, looking over my shoulder
The lights, the atmosphere nothing can compare
Dodgems, rides that made you feel sick
But that’s ok at the local funfair.

A gentle squeeze of the hand
A blushing cheek meets his eye
His heart aches, her cheeks blush
Like cherries in a hot pink pie.
He kisses her face, on the side
of her itsy bitsy nose.
She giggles, plays into his hands
Which is holding a **** rose.
His blood rushes round,
he enquires of her intention
She looks at her diary, free  next week
the next day does not get a mention.
Disappointment darkens the hour
He fiddles with his tie
She grabs his tie and pulls him closer
and her wet sparkly lips taste of cherry pie.
So sweer the embrace, so full of "I want more"
She relaxes, his hand slides down
and unlocks the key of the door.
That key is stiff he thought
better loosen the grip
She pants, he blushes and
finally reveals her little slip.
So silky, so divine, it falls to the floor
So passionate, so forgiving
and she bolts hastily through the door.
"Come back" he shouts, but she has gone
"Not likely" she retorts, what's your game?
He is confused, as men usually are
"But I thought you wanted the same".
Men and women are from two planets
Men from Zog and women from mars.
Men, well we cant do without them
their annoying habits and love of cars.
Women, we are good stuff, I have to say
But at the end of the day, we're all the same
We like our love in the old fashioned way.

Wandering, just aiming
For a bit of this and
A little bit of that.
Pondering about life
Mesmerised by beauty
Trouble and strife
The way of this life now.
And just wondering if
All things were revealed
When I have this and that
Am I lost in a Lilac Field

Unexpected, excited and alert
Roll down the curtain
Let the magic begin.
A wave of the wand
A flash of a light
A roll of a drum
Crash bang wallop in front of yourself
The magic was performed.
How?
When?
One asks oneself?
Magic exists my friend.

I sat there in my chair today
Quite relaxed.
Then slam in my face the door shuts
A bolt of lightening strikes
Once again.
News not expected came
From out of the blue mirky waters
That are drowning my soul.
They suddenly, a light came
Once again.
This light cleared the way
A positive charge fell
The blue water turned crystal clear
Once again.
Hope surrounded me.
I drew breath, it was nice.
Once again.
Now I am feeling relaxed
In the knowledge that help is at hand
And I can continue
Once again.

It is the spooky story of the footballer’s ghost
The younger players are affected the most
They are destined to fall
When they’ve dribbled the ball
They will remember and miss when they reach the post

As the butcher writes “sale” with his chalk
The shoppers watch with eyes like a hawk
In a queue
They all flew
To get their half price special buy pork

Never make eye contact with next door's cat
Turn the other way if it does that.
As it passed me by
It gave me the "eye"
For saying that he is as blind as a bat.

Imagine walking into a silver haze
A silver carpet laid out for you
to gently tip toe to your place of rest.
To be peaceful, graceful, serene
Imagine the silk of their wings
Stroking your body, calming
Sensing your fear, absorbing it
and releasing happiness instead.
Imagine a million silver rose petals
The intoxicating perfume filling your world
Inviting you in, harmony surrounds you.
Imagine an angel, a million angels
protecting you, guarding you.
Being there for you every second of your day
Imagine a million silver butterflies
To carry you, to be with you always
They are there, just look.

Walking along the stone path
I discover violets, so sweet
Delphiniums as blue as the sky
Forget-Me-Nots carressing my feet.
My blue world, a delight
In here my life is complete
The fragrance floating by
on the wings of a golden butterfly.

Sadness is part of the lonliness clan
It leads to depression  
Maybe this will happen, or not
Spinning around your mind playing
Gently messing with your anxiety levels
Always with a fixed smile on its face
Not yours.  
Sadness is a gloom over one's forehead,
heavy like bricks attached with a ribbon
Maybe this will happen, or not
Whizzing along the lanes of your mind
Gently mixing with your anxiety levels
Always with a wonderful smug look on its face
Not yours.
Revenge is sweet so they say, overcome sadness
Force a smile across your face and over ride it
See the smile being squeezed from its face
Not yours.
Well worth the battle. Overcome it.

On a warm afternoon
the gulls are squeaking
life is calm
children are speaking
life is calm
A bus screeches to a halt
All remains calm
A dog draws his last breath
He met his fate two seconds back
Then all is calm.
Children are silent
Tears well in eyes
The big red bus in shock
hearing cries
from the office block
And all is silent and calm.

In a troubled blood-shot face
Where hurt resides most of the day
Steam blows through every space
open to hurt, violence and decay.
Let it go, let it go
It is not worth the time, the trouble
Just let it go wherever it wants to go.
Just do not allow it to show its face again.
Anger, phew, who needs it, not you.

Stuffed in every drawer
Just in case.
Carrier bags, hundreds
in every available space.
She says they will come in handy
They never ever do, do they?
"Keep it, it will come in"
the usual things she will say.
Candles, that is another one
If we never had electricity again
We would survive,
I am absolutely certain.
We have more tins of beans
and packets of dried up peas
If I ate those I'd have enough wind
to keep us going for years.
Oh and the secret drawer
full of old coins, beer tops and springs.
You never know, you know
when you want bits and bobs and things.
But old supermarket bags,
The elderly save them in case
In case of what I'd like to know
There are bags all over the place.

Red, she was dressed in red
Skirts swirling with her hips
Click, click her fingers snap
Her pearly whites grip
The stalk of a freshly cut rose
Red as blood, as stark as fire.
Olives, green, pure and oily
Clench like teeth to a wire
With spicy sausage and clams
Orange and pink in a pan
Tapas, little bits of this,
gorgeous bits of that.
Spanish lullaby from a talented hand
plays romantic flamenco in a band
held tight in his grip, the skin so lovely
the eyes so brown, the look of love so now.

A gentle breeze whistles
Through the keyhole
A silence fills the room
Darkness like a velvet mole
Wafts over the still.
She comes carefully to me
Martha, from the past.
A woman of iron, strong will
and fury but silent.
A bad, evil stench fills the air
Rotting cobwebs shake in the mist
A bone, arthritic like a stick
Mishapen like her soul
Points at me, then fades
I laugh, shout "don't flatter yourself"
"You are no lady, be gone foul player,
Cat had your tongue, spat it out"
I laugh,  she reappears with tears
Begs forgiveness, her soul, the decayer
the torch with a thousand candles
hits her eyes, announcing her fears
Tears well in the socket of a misplaced ball
of juicy *******.  Be gone, be gone and she was.
Martha, a joker, a sick woman now rest in peace.

The news arrived via E-Mail
The fog draped heavy in the wood
The message read “Snail For Sale”
None of the creatures understood.
Their tiny minds had gone blank
The fog had trapped the bluebells
Perhaps it was some mad prank
Nothing round their forest sells.
The ants thought today’s climate dense
The fog had started to clear
Most of them sat on the fence
Trust the ants to interfere.
They wondered what the buyer would give
The fog had now gone.
And where would the snail live
They hadn’t considered that one.
The snail slithered past “vacancy To Let”
With a bit of a smile on his face.
He is out for all he can get
He is just renting the place!

When you’re old and you’ve stuffed yourself silly
On  everyone’s chocolates and nice things to eat.
Give me a nudge if you please, on your way out
In case I fall asleep and knock myself off the seat,

When you have spent all day in the garden
Cutting lawns and trimming back the odd hedge.
Give me a nudge  on the way out please
Amd leave the keys on the ledge

On Saturday night, the musuc beckons you
Your hips pivot like Elvis and you have feet like Rogers
Give me a nudge on the way out
To prove I am not like an old codger

Perfect, tiny presented girls
Red petals plucked at dawn
Arranged on a broken saucer
condensing on the lawn.
Fairies making gifts to sell
To raise pennies for toys
All female fairies do it
Just to annoy little boys.
Dabbing the sweet stuff
That's turned brown in the sun
Raising a few pence for charity
But the fairies have the fun.

Her slight touch, her breath on my soul
Her whisper, my shame, her living, my goal.
Every little footstep she takes
She watches my silly mistakes.
She admires, protects and is fulfilling
She is kind, comforting and forgiving.
She is with me, I know that she is
She touched me, she waits for me
I was touched by an angel.

Its cheeks on fire
Cooling in the mist
a Rose Bush blushes
A sight not to be missed.
When I was small,
a small. sweet girl
I made a sweet perfume
from the petals that curl.
Now trapped in the mad hustle
always in a rush
I smile at the space
where I kept this sweet bush.

Friends, well let me describe my good friend Sally
She is like a breath of fresh air
blowing perfume from pink blossom.
The gentle touch in your hair of a leaf
massaging your face, stilling your thoughts.
She is like the beauty of an ocean
Calming waters around an atoll
clear as porcelain.
She knows what to say when, where and how
She is intelligent beyond belief
Homely and wise.
But Sally Bayan above all these things
you have a quality standing above all
Loyality.
You are a good friend Sally, and I love you.

Nursery Rhymes re-write
Mary ,Mary how does your garden grow?
It doesn’t I have slugs and snails
Which is a bit of a blow
Leaving their horrible sticky trails.

Humpty, Dumpty why sit on a wall
When there are chairs to park your “***”
Just because you had a fall
And you landed on your massive tum.

Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie
Well actually I think it was too many.
There are starving people out there you know
Buy something better with your gold penny.

Little Jack Horner sat in a corner
Eating his big plum pie.
Stuck in his thumb,
Well that was wrong
Why be so dumb
And why burst into song.
Just eat it, do not brag about it
Sticking in your thumb, dear me.
How strange nowadays to sit
In a corner, how rude is he?

A fairy possessed a strange power
That got stronger by the hour.
Was it because her legs were hairy
Or that she was naturally scary
And I thought she was as sweet as a flower.

Met for the first time with your baby
The love you have in your heart flows
No not flows, rushes to every nerve
and the bond you have just grows
That is unconditional love.

Met for the first time with your soul mate
The person with whom you moan, laugh, sing and grow old
No not grow old, mature with to the end of your days
To love always, and to have and to hold.
That is unconditional love.

My Mum kept a garden
A garden of the heart
She planted all the good things
That gave my life a start.
She turned me to the sunshine
And encouraged me to dream
Fostering and nurturing
The seeds of self- esteem.
And then the winds and rain came
She protected me enough
But not too much because she knew
I’d need to stand up strong and tough.
Her constant good example
Always taught me right from wrong
Markers for my pathway
That’ll last a lifetime long
I am my mum’s garden
I am her legacy
And I hope today she feels the love
Reflected back from me

Water gushes, Mother Nature at her worst
Causing crevices to split and the banks to burst.
Sand bags pile high forming temporary barricades.
Putting pressure on them as the water cascades.
A sparkling foam pushes to the liquid surface
Rendering absolutely no breathing space.
Fish confused, dazed and bemused
Battered and slightly bruised.
Swim furiously against the strength of the swell
Questioning their one and only brain cell.
But answers don’t come that easily somehow
A split second decision should be on the cards now.
Mother Nature has pulled out the joker card
And is pitching for the mighty ace of spades.
Cruel and twisted as ever as the water cascades.

Life is all about fitting in.
A new day at school
Sitting amongst total strangers
for a good couple of hours.
The powers that be say
Do not break any rule
at any point in the day.
Following guidelines
is not that bad,
There are times
when one is sad.
But we have acceptance
and that is all good.

A new day at the office
Sitting with total strangers
For more hours than you know.
The powers that be say
Do not break rules
anytime, any day.
We all follow regulations
It is not that bad
But the time to go home
When the whistle blows
Makes one feel glad
Blood pressure glows
"Good day love?" enquires she
"Time went quick" replied he.
Better when I have acceptance.

Acceptance brings friends, laughter
Makes time whizz like a spinning top.
Brings hope ever after
especially when time starts to drop
Accepted into society
Where trust is the king
Acceptance in life
well that is a different thing.

My words here on paper are real
As real as my love for you.
We were sixteen, sweet sixteen
And forty years later, our love is still true.
Each time I see you my heart skips a beat
The blood rushes through my veins
Bringing sweet harmony, taking away pains.
You are my rock, my strength, the reason I live
You stand tall for me, always there for me.
I love you with such intensity it hurts, my sweet
Until the sun dies, the stars will no longer be
I will love you more than there are stars in our sky,
Love you more than there are grains of sand,
I will love you more than ever before
Until I can no longer hold you by the hand.

Birds On A Line
An early morning chat up line, to have a moan and a whine
Birds come for miles to have a perch on the washing line.
A row of bright orange spindly short bony legs
Crushed in-between old big, fat wooden clothes pegs
Dozens of beady eyes staring at an icy weaving trail
Made by a rather tempting delicious unfortunate snail.
A couple of birds pluck up courage and sing
Together with backing singers from the fairy ring.
There is a hustle and bustle high in the trees
Violently shaking the crisp golden leaves.
Cackles and loud high pitched warning cries
Coming from a couple of suited and booted magpies.
The commotion stirs talk amongst the birds on the line
News travels fast on the old bird grape vine!
The snail is spared to live just another day
Birds say their goodbyes and go their own sweet way.

Thinking about it; quite a silly game
Unless they are positive thoughts
Do not go down that route
You'll get less crosses and more noughts.
Negative thoughts; who thought that one up
The only road to this is misery and pain.
Better off with positive thinking and then
you will have everything to gain.
But it is hard when one is stuck in a rut
Stuck and there is no light that one can see.
Better is it not to stand tall, head upright
then your nose to the ground, falling to the knee.
Flop, everything can be judged as a flop
But think differently,  start up over again
Thinking can be quite a dangerous act
Be careful otherwise you'll find misery and pain.

The Owl and the Cheese Sandwich
It rained all night, one sunny morning
the owl stood by my door
He said I gave him a cheese sandwich
And now he’s come back for more.

I thought, cheese, I don’t buy the stuff
The fridge is packed with it you know,
I tried to fob the owl off with jam
But he just flew away and would not go.

I told him owls don’t each cheese
They patrol the night skies
Oh in that case I will cancel cheese
And on the day run I will have some pies.

Funny owl I thought he is up to something
Trying to ram pies down my throat.
It is a good job he is not meeting the pussycat
And going off in a pea green boat!

The day began early.  This morning’s sunset was exceptionally beautiful, cloudless in fact. No rain forecast whatsoever.  Clearing cobwebs seemed imminent.  Suddenly without warning, huge spiders appeared, some with large boots, others smoking wooden pipes. Very scary business.  “She’ll go soon” said one massive spider smiling confidently. “Too right” announced his neighbour. “They all follow suit, petrified like wimps!”
Fortunately brave’s my middle name.   Appearing unafraid or “wimpish, shakily but slowly I gingerly edged towards a door which had been left conveniently open, muscles let rip, brain cells sent messages “red alert”, firing tendons and ran. I’m not that courageous!

I wish all poets on Hello Poetry a very Happy Christmas and may your New Year bring good health and happiness to you and your family.  Cheryl