Joie de vivre II

Don’t let me sit inside
when there is sunshine to enjoy
Fill me with the wonder
that is out there to deploy
Give me the enthusiasm
to be out there on a whim
just lapping up the atmosphere
with an expectant grin

Don’t let me get complacent
whilst I have the breath to live
for the pleasure of the moment
is complete with joie de vivre

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Allotment III

It’s June and the allotment
is looking like you wouldn’t believe
Far more than I think we hoped for
and more than we could conceive

It’s amazing the effect that the sunshine
mixed with a downpour can do
That, and a touch of elbow grease
from the efforts of you know who

And already we’re seeing in just a few weeks
the fruits of our labours right here
It’s really very encouraging
with a great big helping of cheer

©Jemverse

Photo – herbs, lavender, squash and beans on our allotment – Jempics

Dandelions & Daisies

Have you noticed with the dandelions
that when the sun comes out
So do their yellow flowers
as it’s what they are about
It’s just the same with daisies
(and yes, I know that both are weeds)
But both reflect the sunshine
and that’s often what I need

The sun and things that speak of it
are always good for me
So I’ll always let the dandelions
and daisies live and be

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

The Shilling

I remember when I was a lad
how much a shilling gave
were I to spend it, even though
I was encouraged then to save

And so it was in West George Street
in Glasgow, Sunday night
The Shilling Brewing Co I found
built on an old bank site

And though it cost a little more
the beer there that I had
gave memory of the pleasure felt
with a shilling as a lad

©Jemverse

The Shilling Brewing Co was founded in 2016 and occupies the premises of a former Royal Bank of Scotland site. The old bank vault doors remain in the basement when the ladies and gents toilets are now.

A shilling was a unit of English currency before decimalisation in 1968. It was worth 12 old pennies or around 5 pence in today’s money. Back in the day you could get a lot with a shilling; but nowadays you can get virtually nothing with a 5 pence piece!

Photo – a pint of Joker IPA – Jempics

Mellifluous

There are quite a lot of sounds
that are pleasing to the ear
Mellifluous they may be called
Sweet and smooth to hear

For me, one in particular
made by a little chap
My small brown dog called ‘Obi’
and when he drinks with just a lap

©Jemverse

Photo – ‘Obi Wan-Kinobi’ looking gorgeous – Jempics

Allotment II

The allotment’s looking lovely
if I do say so myself
We’ve been doing lots of digging
‘Cos it’s quite good for our health
We’ve got some fruit trees growing
and have planted lots of seeds
And in between the watering
have been pulling up the weeds
It’s really therapeutic
and cathartic doing this
So already our allotment
has become a place of bliss

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Jolly Early

It’s awfully jolly early
to be up on a weekend
But we’re off (us two) to London
to visit an old friend
And as we’re paid up members
we get an early special tour
There before the crowds get in
what our membership is for

So we left the house at five o’clock
caught the red-eye up the line
At Victoria just after seven
just at breakfast time
Then a quick tube down to Pimlico
for David Hockney at the Tate
arriving a bit early
as we don’t like being late

Later on we’ll take the boat
down the Thames a little way
Tate Modern down on Southbank
getting there around midday
And then when we have had our fill
of both galleries I guess
that we’ll partake of something nice
at a restaurant no less

Still later we might take a stroll
by the riverbank a while
Taking in the city sights
for around about a mile
And finally we’ll catch a tube
on the District/Circle line
Leaving London in mid afternoon
to get home by suppertime

©Jemverse

Photo – David Hockney in front of his ‘The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire, 2011’, a 32-canvas panel combined to make the whole – Daily Telegraph, UK.