A tribute to Brian Haw – peace protester…

On By jovisgoesIn Protesting against warLeave a comment

He stood in protest against the war
‘What the hell do we have children for?’
We love them, teach them of free will
Not bringing them up to maim and kill.

But politicians make their spin
And send our children off to win
Against an enemy of their creation
They put at risk our very nation.

He stood and argued long and hard
As they pushed him back yard by yard
Until one day the poor man died
And at his death a nation cried.

Yes, I remember Brian Haw
His ten year protest against all war
The shameful way they moved him on
It’s four silent years since he’s been gone.

©Joe Wilson – A tribute to Brian Haw – peace protester…2015

Brian Haw died of cancer the day before my birthday four years ago…it was a respectful birthday.

An unfortunate badger…

On By jovisgoesIn In the style of Ogden Nash sort ofLeave a comment

(still in the manner of Ogden Nash)

This badger is large and of course, lives underground
He barks like a dog, and makes quite a sound
He’s got massive claws so I keep far away
But then, he doesn’t visit much down my way.

I recently saw him go after an eel
He walloped him hard and it made a loud squeal
Then next he tried to provoke a large cat
Which simply swanned off, well fancy that!

Old brock then went after a giant eagle owl
Well he’s not exactly your domestic fowl
The owl flew up with things left unsaid
But dropped a large message right on his head.

That badger, a glutton in more ways than one
Next tried to see off a massive white swan
Who just raised his wings in a mighty display
Old brock disappeared for the rest of the day.

Soon after the badger’s done his vanishing trick
All of the birds burst out fast and thick
And meeses and voles had their best time yet
Knowing old brock was asleep in his sett.

©Joe Wilson – An unfortunate badger…2015

Locks…(loosely in the style of Ogden Nash)

On By jovisgoesIn PoetryLeave a comment

All shopping comes to an impassable stop
As locks are locked on the door of the shop
And what we wanted to buy today
We probably don’t need anyway.

We gather our bits, and our pieces too
And dive in the car, that’s me and you
The kids will dive straight into the back
I suppose I should check before hitting the track.

Back to the house from whence we came
Ah! I see it, it looks the same
But then next door looks like it too
Except for a missing number two.

But then, their house is number four
Why would they want a two on the door
It would surely be a foolish task
I must remember one day to ask.

Our number two has been missing for days
But we know our house, and to it, the ways
Yet for a new number we went out and shopped
And late as always, by locks we were stopped
Though I don’t think we’ll bother to try again
As next month we’re moving to number ten.

©Joe Wilson – Locks…2015

The last two lines are added for fun
Only there to extend the pun
I know they stretch a simple quatrain
But as Nash might say, they shall remain.

Another sad statistic…

On By jovisgoesIn Children, Indifference6 Comments

back alley2

Harsh cold winds race down dirty back alleys
Bin lids are lifted and all taking flight
Ragged town foxes, heads inside dustbins
Cries of sheer anguish and they take off in fright.

Cold stillborn baby found in a dustbin
Wrapped up in bin bags and filthy soaked towel
A bitter result of unlawful liaison
Another young girl has been treated so foul.

Search is now on to find the sad mother
Everyone knows that she will be ill
Soon she is found with wrists that are bright red
Only fourteen, lying perfectly still.

Another statistic of society’s indifference
As always lip service just isn’t enough
And still the harsh wind blows down dirty back alleys
Where young children find on the street, life is tough.

©Joe Wilson – Another sad statistic…2015

The end of the road…

On By jovisgoesIn Alcoholism, DesolationLeave a comment

Rain making trails down miserable windows
Heralding a new forgettable day
Mirrored his thoughts and down-in-dumps feelings
He stared through the glass with nothing to say.
A glass on the table from yesterday evening
Stale smelling whisky he’d somehow not supped
Sitting now, staring and thinking of dying
A dejected man, head in hands that were cupped.

Suddenly a hand shot out to the whisky
Whisky sent flying, glass smashed on the floor
He couldn’t be bothered to reach for another
So he uncorked the bottle and from it drank more.
All round the sense of his failure clung to him
He’d let down a wife and a family for sure
The way that he had he just couldn’t remember
As he lifted the bottle for just one more pour.

Slow and contemptuous of himself he rose
Very much faster he stumbled and fell
He hadn’t seen soap in over a week now
Yet strangely he never even noticed the smell.
A voice in his head told him drink down another
Another said you’ve had enough for the day
They were both in his head so to him didn’t matter
As he tipped back the bottle and drank anyway.

And that’s how they found him, a heap on the floor
Drunk like the others with a bottle in his fist
They took him, washed him, and bed him for the night
And wondered as always, if this man was missed.
Daytime arrives, and the sun fills the sky
The man, like the others, wakes up very late
But sunshine means little as he sips on his bottle
He’s much too far gone to the hands of his fate.

©Joe Wilson – The end of the road…2015

A desperate note to Mr Cameron…

On By jovisgoesIn PoetryLeave a comment

On the boring tills each day
Monotony drives her mad
But seeing folk buying fewer things
Makes her feel so sad.

While I work at the scrapyard
It’s dirty and the hours are long
But I was never going to be a surgeon
Although I’m immensely strong.

But, between us, we’re poor with children
Nonetheless, we give to God our thanks
That relief will be there to help us
At one of your local food banks.

The number of people using food banks to feed themselves and their families has gone from 40,000 a year under Labour to over 350,000 in the last six months alone.

Well done Dave, I guess it’ll be more of the same for the foreseeable future.

©Joe Wilson – A desperate note to Mr Cameron…2015

A short note to my wife…

On By jovisgoesIn Being lovedLeave a comment

On such a glorious day as this
We left the aisle in wedded bliss
And through the years of joy, and pain
I’ve thought, I’d do it all again.

A journey such as we have made
Where love stands out and ill did fade
Was all I ever hoped to see
With one who’d know the real me.

©Joe Wilson – A short note to my wife…2015

Ezra’s final conversation…

On By jovisgoesIn Belief, Death, Faith, PoetryLeave a comment

Ezra cried out,
‘Lord, where art thou in my hour of need?’

Silence prevailed.

‘Lord, canst thou give unto me no succour?’

Silence prevailed.

Ezra in desperate straits
His future in the hand of Fates
Tries and fails to escape their claws
For evil is there chosen course.

Ezra cried out,
‘Lord, why dost thou make my life so hard?’

Silence prevailed.

‘Lord, why am I so tested?’

Silence.

Ezra fights against his foe
The pride that he has come to know
He fights against with all his might
And wins, and moves his sin from sight.

Ezra cried out,
‘Lord, thou truly art a sly old thing.’

Silence prevailed.

‘Lord, I hear thy angels sing.’

‘Lord, thou hast helped me yet again.’

Silence.

Ezra smiled.
Ezra slept.

©Joe Wilson – Ezra’s final conversation…2015

Yet another old memory…

On By jovisgoesIn Childhood, Family, Life, LoveLeave a comment

Her perfume lingered in my nostrils
It reminded me of days long since gone
Of Mother making us treacle tart
And the way the sun always shone.

It didn’t of course, it was just childhood
And we like to think back to the good
Things like the sun always shining
And Mother’s delicious pud.

People then, had no central heating
In winter with fires, the house was cold still
And the water we took up to bed would freeze
Through the night on the windowsill.

Mother’s love was of course, unconditional
As was Dad’s till the day he died
And Mum dabbed on ‘Lily of the Valley’
As she stood by his coffin and cried.

So now, when a lady walks past me
Who is wearing that scent from those years
She’ll probably be a lady of advancing age
Who’s experienced those times and some tears.

And I will drift back to my childhood
But I’ll push out the parts that are bad
As I think of the fun and the love that I felt
I’ve no desire to look back and be sad.

©Joe Wilson – Yet another old memory…2015

A small footprint to signify ones life…

On By jovisgoesIn A life in summary, Spiritual fulfillment6 Comments

And so you reach your final scene
Will someone know that you have been
Did you enjoy a fulfilled life
Or was it filled with pain and strife
And did you ever stop and find
Enough surprise to blow your mind
Did music lift your spirits high
And books so thrill you by and by
Or were perhaps these not for you
You found more sporty things to do.

Did you find someone to love
Who made your heart soar high above
And was your faith a boring drone
That made you feel the need to moan
Or did it lift your spiritual tone
And let you know you weren’t alone.
Have you made a difference
Of complex times have you made sense
And have you done the best you can
Or been a swine or harridan
Is your humbleness well known
Or is your call a megaphone?

We are so many, we differ so
How others feel we sometimes know
But if we’re generous in our hearts
Friendships grow from gentle starts
And you can love just who you choose
The loveless are the ones to lose
As those who love care for the land
Embracing nature, no demand
And making way to journey’s end
When sometimes death seems like a friend
Perhaps reflect and leave this hint
We all should leave a small footprint.

©Joe Wilson – A small footprint to signify ones life…2015