Maybe I can try
as the weekend once again
arrives this morning
to capture something of the
hallowed place it takes me to
confirming the choice is right
Seagull silhouetted on the canvas roof
as we sat with cup of tea
in January sunshine there with Sal
and Holly, Grace, Wolfgang and me
He made a happy picture there
synonymous, replete
so I quickly took a picture
making this fine day complete
Cathartic this wide expanse of beach
tide low under deep blue sky
just the tonic that I needed
as I wandered slowly by
Splashed winter boots in cold water
found a bright red shell
dragged my toe through the wet sand
with words I'll never tell
Felt the sun warm on my neck
wiped away the tear
replacing that with new found joy
as things became quite clear
It's January's final day
Tuesday the thirty-first
one month gone of Twenty-Three
thirty days dispersed
I'm not sure where they've gone mind you
as it doesn't seem that long
since we were still on holiday
and singing festive song
But gone they have so onward
to the shortest month we go
What it will bring a mystery
though soon we all will know
With lucidity
lightbulb moments came to me
from left field this week
Caught me unaware but filled
the hole which had been growing
With lucidity
fulfilment left me complete
with realisation
And relaxed into happy
the proverbial clouds parted
With lucidity
the sunshine returned again
and with spring in step
I was dancing in my mind
Some decisions born of that
[Tanka is a Japanese poetic non-rhyming poem with a syllabic sequence of 5-7-5-7-7. ‘Tri-tanka is a derivative of Jemverse making, returned to periodically as part of an ongoing series]
Sat in the hospital waiting room
there with Sal for moral support
on a very cold winters' morning
('cos it's the right thing and I ought)
Here for an eyesight inspection
post-op (trust everything's good)
'cos we're not as young as we were
and things don't work quite as they should
But we're in a good place for the checking
all thanks to the NHS
whose care and attention and treatment
is nothing short of the best
Wednesday morning and
midweek meandering brings
the curl of lips and knowing
that the weekend looms
with time for being me and
for not suffering the fools
For a brief moment in the sky
a rainbow glowed and caught my eye
but in a moment it was gone
replaced by lovely sun that shone
that briefly dried up all the rain
before the grey clouds came again
We coddiwompled in the mud
up at Barcombe Mills
all eight of us together
amidst the Sussex hills
The rain held off but underfoot
the mud was thick and wet
but we all had the best of times
so never cause to fret
The Anchor Inn was closed
but we really didn't mind
as this was just the perfect walk
coddiwompling here to find
Photo – “The Beans at Barcombe – December 2022” – Jempics
[In the ‘Colloquy’ series, I’m exploring some the of English language’s more obscure words. Some little used, some no longer used but all recondite. ‘Coddiwomple’ is slang for travelling in a purposeful way towards a vague destination]
Around a table with Cluedo and Red Leicester cheese
with good conversation, precious days these
Laughter and merriment the six of us here
these are the days for which we all cheer
As it's all about family and closeness together
for the bad times and good, the known and whatever
For we all are as one, best of friends and of kin
arms linked with a smile through the thick and the thin
...all about me and my life in words. I write most days, carrying an ideas book around in which I capture a word snapshot of life around me. So there's a lot here about Sussex and the sea and anything else I see that inspires.
The pictures are mine too. Some taken to match a poem; some poems written to match a pic; others chosen because they work well with words written.
Jemverse is life in words. Hope you enjoy the reading as much as I enjoy the writing...