Grassula Ovata

Upon my kitchen window sill the money plant is sat

Its branches pointing to the sky, its leaves so round and fat.

My friend said,’It will make you rich as long as you take care

For it’s a special Money Tree, good fortune it will share.’

I watched the tree grow big and strong, the chubby branches spread-

It wobbled in its little pot. I didn’t want it dead.

And so I chopped some branches off and, hoping they would grow,

Potted them up until I had three plants all in a row.

My baby money plants took root. I saved the mother tree.

Fresh compost saw them flourish well as they brought luck to me.

But now I dare not let it die – the ones I gave away

Are spreading magic all around,’Look after them,’ I say.

And then someone I’d given one came up to me to tell

‘Since you gave me the money tree I’ve won a prize as well!’

So I care for my money plant and when it gets too big

I’ll chop more branches off and find more people I can give

A little bit of hope – but now my money plant’s on show.

Would I grow poorer if it died? I hope I never know.

Advertisements

Lifetime-a poem

How many years does it take to discover the things that make

a life have meaning, and to find what matters, and to leave behind

both memories of something good and people who, forever, would

be thankful that you’ve been around and left , to them , a word, a sound

a note, a gift, a picture or something they hadn’t known before

and shared it with them, for to see a part of life’s infinity?

We struggle, still, to make our mark; to shine a light into the dark

to battle against all that’s wrong, to cheer with word, or smile, or song,

and maybe it takes a whole life to find true peace instead of strife

and not until we lose our fear the purpose of our life comes clear.

 

Eating Out

I looked through to photos I had from our visit away and the best one was this. It needs an explanation. The cottage had suggestions for where to eat out and the first one was this pub – called ‘The Bull.’ It welcomed dogs so, on the first evening, we ventured forth to have an evening meal.

It was so good and had friendly staff that we went back again on the Monday night. However, by then we were beginning to feel the heat and we didn’t stay long enough to have the meringue I had my eye on. The beers were strange to us but acceptable.

We chose salad the first night and fish and chips the second time. We ate inside but they had tables and chairs outside and this lovely statue.

A Doggy bath

In between sorting out my author page on amazon I helped to bath our Patterdale terrier, Diesel. He was beginning to pong and we are taking him to meet relatives so he had to be cleaned up.

I feel really happy as I think I corrected all my mistakes, with a lot of help from Nielsen pubhelp and others. Now to sit back and wait for reviews! (I’m joking) That’s the one thing I didn’t put in the back of the book. Never mind, I’m taking some across country and hoping to find new readers. You’ll all have a rest from my mutterings for a few days.

Back to the football! Julie.

The Powers that Be

What is wrong with the world today? You can’t believe a word they say.

They tell us they want to stop a war and then go off and bomb some more.

They tweet and jeer to not lose face until we fear a new arms race.

Yet still parade like special friends as if sport all the trouble ends.

There’s poison smeared upon a door, something we’ve never seen before.

Two people almost die and still we do not know who made them ill.

It’s frightening how we do not mind if no more elephants we find,

If all the trees are felled and burned and calls to save the planet spurned.

And while we all pollute the sea with plastic, they cannot agree

To treat our world with love and care knowing this is the earth we share.

 

Editing

AAAAH! That will teach me. I thought the proof of my book was ready for printing but NO WAY. After three goes at editing it myself, one beta reader and two more proof readings I thought I’d got it right. It isn’t enough!

My problem is my poor typing skills. I may have found all the spelling errors but I still don’t leave spaces in the right place, especially when I put dialogue within the text, rather than starting a new line.

‘Good morning,’ he said.’I hope you are well?’ should be – ‘Good morning,’ he said. ‘I hope you are well?’ It doesn’t show in this font but it does in more old fashioned ones. That’s a whole book I’ve got to change! My fault for trying to get up to date.

Daft rider (verse)

I waddled, with my trolley load, along the pavement cold and grey,

When all at once a hooded form upon two wheels took right of way.

He zoomed around me from behind, I had no time to move aside

No warning shout, no bell, no sign that on the actual road he’d ride.

I could have tripped and fallen down, he rode so sure, so near, so fast

He saw me, but I did not know, just felt the wind as he flew past.

Oh youth, due on the other side, why can’t you travel on the lane

And leave a poor old soul alone, to drag her shopping home again?