Temple cross round

In the Bristol blitz bombing
of the second world war
The Temple Cross roof was
brought to the floor
Yet when the rubble was cleared
though it’s fate was then sealed
some circular Templar
foundations revealed

What was then a square ruin
had once been quite round
A fact only discovered
when razed to the ground
And now preserved for all time
lest history we shun
Two ruined churches
stand together as one

©Jemverse

The Temple church (aka Holy Cross and Temple Cross) ruins stand in the Temple Meads area of Bristol in the UK. Bombed during the Bristol blitz in WWII, it was only when the detritus from the ruined roof and floor was cleared after the war that the foundations of an earlier entirely circular Templar church were revealed. The Templar building, now marked by a ring of shale inside the nave of the present ruin, dates from 1100. The ‘modern’ parish of Holy Cross was built over it between 1300 and 1450.

Fickle and change

The morning was fragile
it could break any time
A heaviness up there
though it started out fine
Maybe the sunshine
would gather in strength
Regain its strong vigour
and stay for the length
Or maybe the lurking
out over the sea
would encroach on the land
and start raining on me
So fickle the weather
that no-one can know
when sun turns to rain
or rain turns to snow
So I always make sure
and take steps every day
in case sunshine should fade
and I get caught in the fray

©Jemverse

Life in words

I like writing poems
I write one every day
‘Cos there’s lots in life to write about
and it’s nice to have a say
I’ll write about the sunshine
and I’ll write about the sea
I’ll write about ‘most anything
and sometimes simply me

I have words describing places
and the music that I hear
and the people that I daily meet
and sometimes share a beer
So I’m sure to always have to hand
a book and yes, a pen
‘Cos words can come at any time
and I’m never certain when

©Jemverse

Yellow morning song

Yellow sky this morning
in a very special way
tells me that it’s going to be
another lovely day
A far cry from the winter
we expect this time of year
as it’s up in double figures
to add an extra dose of cheer

The sun is shining through the trees
Golden in the sky
and the gulls are singing cheerily
as they fly slowly by
The light this weekday morning
brings to step a spring
encouraging a happiness
which makes me want to sing

©Jemverse

Back to my roots

I’m travelling down to Bristol
Just going for the day
Where fifty-seven years ago
to this life I made my way
On the map are several places
Familiar by name
But I’d imagine quite a bit has changed
and it won’t look quite the same

But that aside, it’s really nice
to be back this way once more
Because your birthplace never leaves you
No matter what life has in store
So I’ll take it as I find it
and enjoy just being there
As travelling round the country
Gives me lots more words to share

©Jemverse

 

New

There is darkness in amongst the trees
Here in Hampshire’s land
A thousand years of history
From William’s era stand
Trenches and Inclosures
Slades and moors and hill
The wild land of New Forest
remaining heathland still

Here where ponies wander free
and monarchy has trod
Where nature has a precedence
and man no claim to sod
Few roads dissect its wilderness
Few holdings spoil its view
And though here for a millennium
We still call it ‘New’

©Jemverse

The New Forest in Hampshire, UK was first laid as a hunting ground for William the Conqueror almost a thousand  years ago. It was made a national park in 2005. Cattle grids around its perimeters stop the still wild ponies from wandering outside of its borders. 

Queen of the forest

The Knightwood Oak stands tall and proud
as it has for centuries now
Six hundred years it has been here
withstanding time somehow

And as I stood beside its girth
and looked up at its height
I heard the ages echo there
Faced with this wondrous sight

My words fortuitous is seems
as Ordnance Survey did invest
when back in eighteen seventy
named it as ‘Queen of the Forest’

An aged oak, it stands there still
protected by the Queen
Recalling previous monarchs that
through its lifetime it has seen

And in honour of its heritage
new saplings grow around
Named there after royalty
in the New Forest ground

©Jemverse

The ‘Knightwood Oak’ is in the ‘Knightwood Inclosure’ just off the A35 out of Lyndhurst in the New Forest. Previously known as ‘The Queen of the Forest’, this massive oak is thought to be over 600 years old. The New Forest was originally set aside as hunting ground by William the Conqueror more than 900 years ago. It was made a National Park in the UK in 2005. 

The whimsy of treasured memories

Closeted in the cupboards of minds
and kept for a rainy day
memories of the halcyon times
Dreams are filed away

Days from childhood, days from youth
retained to often share
many things taken save for these
All kept and treasured there

A sacrosanct trove of happiness
as the years pass swiftly by
brought out and dusted down when we
with whimsy breathe a sigh

©Jemverse

A weekend away

We’re travelling down to Hampshire
for a mini-holiday
We don’t do this very often
so it’s nice to get away

Staying close to Lyndhurst
the New Forest all around
Taking wellington boots in case
it’s soggy on the ground

Found some dog-friendly watering holes
and a hotel for a nap
Plotted out some walking routes
and marked them on the map

We’re only going for a night
but that will be just fine
For there’s lots for us to see and do
and have a lovely time

©Jemverse

Cloud Blankets

You can see why it’s called ‘a blanket of cloud’
‘Cos the sky’s all tucked up in the West
There’s yellow out there suggesting the sun
But it’s staying in bed for a rest

©Jemverse