A picture of England

Bodiam beckoned
as the sunshine was sent
and I took in the view
from the high battlement

This castle in Sussex
with its moat all around
quintessentially English
never fails to astound

And though I have visited
these walls in the past
its picturesque splendour
is hard to surpass

©Jemverse

A good place to be

Sun shines, enticing me
up on hills or down by sea
Inspiring with the warm and free
down here at the coast

Winds blow, surrounding me
up on hills or down to sea
This is the place I love to be
down here at the coast

Rain falls, refreshing me
up on hills or down to sea
Though to the sun I’ll always flee
down here at the coast

©Jemverse

i in the sky

Towering like a monolith
up into the sky
Brighton’s i-360
is really, really high
Dwarfing the remains
of the ruinous West Pier
it stands alone just waiting
for the summer to appear

Then the doors will open
and its pod all bright and new
will carry people skyward
to take in the marvellous view
Sussex seen from high above
for over twenty miles around
from Brighton’s i-360
Four hundred feet above the ground

©Jemverse

As above, so below

As above, so here below
blue sky and deep blue sea
The gently turning silent waves
creep up to welcome me
In this place, that sweetest voice
sings out the quiet refrain
as on this shingle here I stand
upon my beach again

©Jemverse

Splashing

Tidal waters splashing
at the waters’ edge
on the old breakwater
such a privilege
Buried deep in shingle
but still within my reach
as the tide turns one more time
down here at the beach

©Jemverse

Blink and you’ll miss it

Blocked in passageways
where once there were streets
and sticky faced children
on corners with sweets
watched elderly ladies
resting on seats
All gone in the blink of an eye

Housing estates grow
where once there were fields
graffiti covered walls
shopfronts with shields
with derelict blemishes
for developers’ yield
Covered up in the blink of an eye

Yet there in a crack
is a small yellow flower
rising up with a smile
as paving slabs cower
and the filthy, ragged
concrete glowers
Life’s back in the blink of an eye

©Jemverse

Reflection

Shadow of a crown of thorns
high up on the wall
held there in a flickering light
sweetest thing I saw
Around me people quietly prayed
the Spirit, moving, felt
a whispered word, a silent prayer
shared as people knelt

Akin there to a healing light
flickering on the wall
held silent by a shadow
beckoning a call
The shadow of a crown of thorns
up there in plain sight
here on this Good Friday
reflecting what is right

©Jemverse

The not quite there

Contemplative quiet and still
now seems as good a time
to sit back here, reflective
whilst I’m feeling fine

Can’t quite put my finger on
though I’m trying hard to share
Intangible, perched on the edge
it’s not exactly there

A memory, a ‘je ne sais quoi’
I’m not quite sure you see
It’s really most frustrating
and remains a mystery

©Jemverse

Holes

Of all the pebbles on the beach
with virtues to extol
the ones which I love most of all
are those that have a hole

I try to find one every time
as it’s something that I do
And as I’ve lived here many years
I now have quite a few

I’ve worked some into sculptures
in my garden on the ground
Whilst I treasure most of all
are as ornaments around

They have a special quality
so when to the beach I come
I’ll not leave empty-handed
until I’ve found another one

©Jemverse

Pocket of Springtime

Sitting in a pocket of springtime
Warmed by a welcome embrace
Breathing deeply the fragrance
Feeling the sun on my face
Knowing the winter’s behind me
Forgetting the six months of chill
Looking forward to summer
Promising warmer days still

©Jemverse