Blood on His Hands

'City's on firescream the newspaper headlines,
'hell' with your toast and it's sharp marmalade. 
Croissants and coffee and death and destruction,
stories of suffering; a nation afraid.

The wireless chirps about rampant inflation,
with programmes of fear depression and dread.
The hope that this year would rise like a beacon,
of light mid our darkness,
lay dead in its bed.

Defiant; besieged they stoically fight,
to the death; to the end; for Ukraine and its lands!
'til the bombing falls silent,
and the dust finally settles,
and Putin's the one,
with their blood on his hands.

Look Into Their Eyes

Look into their eyes.
The baby.
The baby's eyes are just full of love for their mother.
These eyes know they're loved and cared for.
Eyes that know their mother will feed them and keep them safe.
These eyes are oblivious.
Secure eyes.

The toddler.
The toddlers eyes know something's wrong.
Eyes that say my life has changed and things are different.
Eyes that show concern but eyes that do not have a full understanding.
These eyes are worried.
Frightened eyes.

The teenager.
The teenagers eyes know part of the story.
Their eyes are eyes that have worked out what's happening. 
These are eyes that show that part of the burden has been put upon their shoulders.
These are eyes that have had to grow up very quickly,
perform to a level they've never performed to before.
These eyes now carry a load.
Responsible eyes.

The mother.
The mothers eyes are scared.
The mothers eyes are eyes that show the fear and know that this is war and just what war can mean.
These eyes show the full weight of responsibility.
These eyes know their partner has had to go away to fight and may not return.
These are eyes that show a deep concern,
and these eyes have a grievance.
These eyes show hate!
A deep hate towards one.
Hateful eyes.




Once - Now

Old man.
Loose change in a plastic bag,
coat turned against the cold.
Trip out to fuel the car.
Once just part of his day,
now a trip out.
Seventeen pounds and sixty one pence!
Once a weeks worth of his sweat,
now a splash of fuel for the car.
Walking stick in hand.
Once a 'hop, skip and a jump',
now a marathon of distance and planning.
Mask swinging from one ear.
Adjustments. 
So many adjustments to make.
Once life was simple.
Now,
now so complicated!

(Haiku)

Powerful winds blew 
many roofing contractors 
into our village.

Ukraine

A suffering nation.
The anticipation. 
An impending destruction and threat.
The horror of an occupation.
A despicable violation.
Beleaguered,
bedevilled,
beset.

A vile oppression.
An illegal possession,
freedom rapped by the gun. 
Though international condemnation,
no dictators obliteration,
a countries,
heart,
ever won.


Shroddingers Cake

A cake,
baked in the shape of the Greek letter 'pi'
It is at the same time a cake,
yet its is pi(e)!