Cornwall A Land Which Haunts Your Very Soul

Cornwall
a rugged peninsula 
a fiercely independent people
its language 
its myths and legends 
its industries and religions
...Cornwall
a land of its people

Cornwall 
a misty land of gales and wind-farms 
twisted hedgerows and contorted trees
weekend sailors and professional surfers
...Cornwall
a land of sea and sky

Cornwall
an ancient land
of grey slate hung farmhouses 
monuments and stone built churches
structures built to last
...Cornwall
a land of resilience 

Cornwall
a land to fire up your creativity 
poets and artists
betjeman and langley
trebetherick and the newlyn school
...Cornwall
a land of inspiration 

and a land of verdant beauty
moorland peaks and sandy beaches
open vistas and heather verges
fishing ports and river inlets 
of craggy cliffs rising from the sea

...Cornwall
a land which haunts your very soul


Who'd Be A Crow

Who'd be a crow?
latin name 'corvus
a medium to large sized bird
one of a large family of birds
omnivorous 
'kwar' 'kwar' 'kwar'
a 'Murder' of crows being known to 'argue' loudly in tree tops
roosts of over 200 not unusual
gatherings near food opportunities 
dustbuns
summer seafronts
friday night high streets 
damaging crops
disturbing the peace.
...who'd be a crow?

Who'd be a crow?
aloof in their glossy black outfits
shy
persecuted by some
mistrused by others
revered 
ancient greeks and roman myths
cultures believing they had sacred powers
full of symbolism
mentions in religious scriptures and texts
fables and poems
novels and music
plastered across heraldic banners
...who'd be a crow?

Who'd be a crow?
such a great CV!
intelligent 
adaptable
found on most continents 
a great team player with great communication skills 
an ability to pass on knowledge 
known to make and use rudimentary tools
known to communicate with other species 
an ability to identify humans by their facial features!

...I'd like to be a crow!


 

Helicopter Passes Over Head

cotton wool clouds in azure blue skies
crisp morning air catches my breath 
crows in orchard discuss the situation 
distant sound of traffic is peppered with small arms fire
twenty 
thirty 
fourty miles distant
a rumble catches my ear
a russian attack helicopter lets go its payload
as seagulls chase an early morning tractor 
flash of white across the freshly turned soil
an explosion of flapping wings 
gently rising smoke amongst the rows of burnt out military hardware 
oak tree casts a shadow 
light and shade
smoke rising from a field of bomb craters 
amidst the ruined buildings
burnt out cars
lives in shreds
sheep sit 'shooting the breeze'
sparrows encroach into each others territory 
disagreeing
squabbling
fighting
chasing in and out of hedgerows
oblivious to the metaphor 

helicopter passes over head


A Rant on Behalf of the Common Man Over The 2022 Fuel Price/Cost Of Living Rises

"You! You're just part of the machine 
part of the filthy corporate landscape!
You're all money grabbing bastards!
Trample us little guys
squeeze us dry why don't you!
Struggling as we are 
kick us when we're down!
Our morning coffee 
our daily paper
all up in price
all our little treats
the extras that make life worthwhile 
make it bearable 
tolerable 
manageable 
...just about
so we can cope and not give up
like I wanna to give up
but you can't 
you can't give up
you just mustn't give up
...must you!"

Pay Homage (You Just Had To Be There!)

a spaceship parked in the centre of a city
architectural majesty 
a cathedral to sport
a collasium to rugby
pay homage to the venue

they assemble and they worship 
sing along with their anthem 
they pray for their country
united in faith
pay homage to the team

lager is quaffed 
dripping from trays
four pints at a time
packets of crisps to help soak it up
pay homage to the alcohol 

with wolly 'sheep hats'
in a shirts of their team
'daffodil headgear'
this passion wears red
pay homage to the outfits

rejoice! sing disciples 
fanatical congregations 
in pulpit like rows
generations at the altar 
pay homage to the church

an allegiance
a devotion 
adulation to spare
fidelity and the people

...you just had to be there!


(Haiku)

Time drinking coffee
is time to stop and chat and
put the world to rights