Little Lights

Surrounded by darkness
as night settles in
Little pinpricks of light
point to where I have been
As with power from the sunlight
they get by the day
they come alive in the darkness
to light up my way

And as my garden at night
brings mysterious smile
I’ll gladly partake
every once in a while

©Jemverse

Photo – a myriad of solar light sticks – Jempics

Succulent

It’s been growing in some housebricks
on a pot outside our door
for quite some months, innocuous
Not sure what it was for
But just this week quite suddenly
It’s come into it’s own
As several tall flowers have
spectacularly grown

Crested pink with purple flecks
quite beautiful are they
Diminutively lovely
for this succulent display

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

In Constable’s footsteps

Went to Brighton to see the original
on short loan from the Tate
It’s quite a lot bigger than the one on my wall
and to see it there was great

A Constable retrospective
representing four years’ toils
When he lived right here in Brighton
with some drawings and some oils

It was a special privilege
to see these works all here
and in particular for me
the original ‘Chain Pier’

©Jemverse

Photo – my print copy of John Constable’s ‘The Chain Pier, Brighton’ (1826-27) ; Tate Britain – Jempics

John Constable took lodgings in Brighton between 1824 and 1828 during which he drew and painted a lot of what he saw around him. ‘In Constable’s Footsteps’ at Brighton Museum brings all of that output together for the first time in an exhibition running until 8 October 2017.

The Chain Pier was Brighton’s first pier. Built in 1823 but destroyed by a storm in 1896, you can still see remains of its oak pilings at very low tides today.

The green and the grey

The prevailing Sou’Westerly’s blowing quite hard
with white horses out there today
Its cooler but the view from the beach
is great with the green and the grey

There’s an edge of a storm out there in the wild
that the sea will tickle and coax
And a fleck of moisture on the wind in my face
throws into the mix a few soaks

But I don’t mind a bit for there’s laughter right here
teased out by a very good friend
Who knows me much better than I can ever return
and who always wins in the end

©Jemverse

Photo – the sea from ‘The Perch’, Lancing Beach, Sussex, UK – Jempics

Our little garden

I love our little garden
and the space we have out here
It’s lovely in the summer
and at other times of year
And yes, it’s on the small side
but that’s the way it is
So we’re not that bothered by it
as there’s nothing here remiss

It’s actually quite helpful
as to keep this lovely view
it’s easier to keep in check
and less for us to do
And even though the shrubbery
can overwhelm sometimes
A quick trim with the shears
makes room for more sunshine

It’s lovely sitting out here
so we do whenever we
have time to sit and have a read
or sip a cup of tea
Or simply sit and just admire
for which I beg your pardon
As it really is just perfect here
in this our little garden

©Jemverse

Photo – the poet’s garden – Jempics

The Fly-past

Gulls above the Metropole
a fly-past just for me
Here in Brighton in the sun
next to the deep blue sea

Their cry is one of happiness
and the joy of being here
With the clarity of summer
at this lovely time of year

©Jemverse

Photo – gulls on the wing above the Metropole Hotel, Brighton, Sussex, UK – Jempics

Slip slide away

Yesterday saw the Solstice
and the summer’s longest day
Midyear passes once again
as time slip slides away

Yet it is only just mid-June
so although the light will now
grow gradually fainter
no frown is on my brow

For these are days of summer
with the sun high in the sky
And I’m alive as live can be
as every day goes by

©Jemverse

Photo – Brighton’s i-360 observation tower with sun, from Kings Road – Jempics