The Bridge Hotel

Down the back steps is a courtyard
overlooking city walls
high above the valley
from where the Tyne it calls
Adjacent to High Level Bridge
its namesake for to trace
The Bridge Hotel in Newcastle
quite special to this place

©Jemverse

Photo – High Level Bridge from the courtyard of The Bridge Hotel, Newcastle, UK – Jempics

Passing through

Of the places that I travel to
surpassing all the rest
I have to say with hand on heart
Newcastle is the best

It has a certain ambiance
a ‘je ne sais quoi’ I’d say
Can’t quite find the words
but it appeals in every way

And though my visits often
just see me passing through
I’ll always do my level best
to see the river view

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Fleeting glimpses of wonder

There’s something to be said
when travelling to Southend
of the sunset on the water
on the estuary of the Thames

Catching glimpses like this
of the things around I’ve seen
reminds me of the beauty
in the places I have been

And even though a fleeting glimpse
as the train sped on its way
it filled me with a wonder
on this fragile winters day

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Cold in Manchester

Awoke to a cold morning
But the rain had gone away
So putting on a braver face
I set out to greet the day
Unfamiilar are these streets
but my path is fairly clear
and the place that I am going to
is reasonably near

Warm inside my winter coat
AirPods bring comfort sound
coupled with the promise that
I’ll soon be homeward bound
And somehow it’s more bearable
cold weather close to home
A cheering thought to cling to
when in Manchester alone

©Jemverse

Photo – Manchester, December 2019 – Jempics

Miles Melting

And as I travel metal sings
cocooned here in the warmth
night passes swift outside
where winter chill escapes me

Slumber beckons but I resist
taking pen to paper instead
I while away time passing
as the miles melt away

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Safely Asleep

The dawn’s not yet broken
and I’m travelling again
on the road for one more business trip
With birds still asleep
as the night is yet deep
I tip toe up the road lest I slip

The street lights are out
and everything’s dark
the silence is still and complete
And I quickly go
so no-one will know
and the world remains safely asleep

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

Split II

12 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

Sitting on deck six
with Split across the way
Picturing all the things
that have made this holiday

It has been all we hoped for
and though we fly home on the morrow
It is with happiness we’re leaving
and not one tinged with sorrow

For we’ve criss-crossed the Adriatic
seen sunshine and some rain
Visited new places and
been back to some again

We’re just a little browner
than we were a week ago
which judging by the time of year
is quite nice to have on show

And we’ve memories a-plenty
captured by the things we’ve seen
and the very many lovely
places this past week we’ve been

So now with quiet reflection
as the ship prepares to sail
returning to Dubrovnik
all these things here I regale

Split, this lovely city
perfect Swansong to this time
so I’ll end this little series
with that thought upon this line

©Jemverse

Photo – sunset over the Adriatic from Split, Croatia – Jempics

[‘Split II’ concludes the series of twelve poems capturing our autumn 2019 ‘Adriatic Affair’ cruise aboard the Marella Celebration. From 24 through 31 October we visited…
24/10 – Dubrovnik, Croatia (‘Finding Summer’ (02/11) and ‘Dubrovnik Divine’ (03/11))
25/10 – Hvar, Croatia (‘Hvar’ (04/11) and ‘Hoorah for Hvar’ (05/11))
26/10 – Ancona, Italy (‘Ancona Encore’ (06/11) and ‘Ancona II’ (07/11))
27/10 – Koper, Slovenia (‘Koper’ (08/11))
28/10 – Venice, Italy (‘Venice (touch & go)’ (09/11) and ‘Venice II’ (10/11))
29/10 – Rijeka, Croatia (‘Rijeka’ (11/11)), and
30/10 – Split, Croatia (‘An unexpected tricycle ride’ (12/11) and ‘Split II’ (13/11))
…before sailing back into Dubrovnik for the flight home on the 31st]