Never far away

 Never far away

 

I’ve posted off my Christmas cards,

Tho’ postage stamps on less.

Christmas cards used to be the dearest

Now it’s posting I invest.

 

But every card that’s posted

I truly feel so blessed,

The recipient that reads that card

In my life they’ve been the best.

 

They’ve played a part in my journey -

The small amount I’ve sent,

Their meaning has been special

The stamp has been well spent.

 

And as I write well-meaning words

So happy to write their name!

Another for their birthday

And next year just the same.

 

If I don’t receive one back

I understand you cannot afford

As long as you remember me

You’re still so much adored.

 

There is also modern tech

With gifs to make me smile

That travel the same distance

However many miles. 

Posted through your letter box 

Or best wishes on your phone. 

It seems like only yesterday 

How the time has flown. 

 

No matter how much time has passed

Will keep in touch at special times

I’ve been in your life

As you have been in mine.

 

The blessing in that letter box

That was posted off today

All with thoughts of you

That are never far away

 

I’ve invested in some stamps

But there is no price on friends,

Or family, or special people

That’s why this rhyme’s been penned.

 

 

 

Copyright Linda Lawrence

 

12/12/2023

 

Alone

 

Alone

 

Two lonely people, son so busy

With children and wife,

his job and his life.

The family visit with some time to spare

Trying to look out for their parents’ welfare.

 

Two faces light up when grandchildren call in

They chatter away

about how their life has been.

The stories that reflect their own

The years gone by and how they’ve grown.

 

The district nurse calls every day

With an injection that keeps

That disease at bay.

Filing cabinet full of NHS letters

And this condition will not get any better.

 

They watch some old films and reminisce.

How ever did their later lives

even get like this.

Now they have only got each other

And she remains a wife and a mother.

 

They’ve had a good life and shouldn’t be sad

They are so proud to be

Grandma and Grandad!

Son’s girls have got bigger, they don’t see them a lot

They’re so far away and that’s the upshot.

 

They hold hands, they’re still in love

They want to be together

when they pass up above.

The time is close, enough is enough

Nothing is easy and life has got tough

 

Now the son’s daughters have left home

Now him and his estranged wife

have been left alone

Middle age has passed, crept up twilight years

They think of their parents and shed a few tears.

Copyright Linda Lawrence

 

Hard as nails

 

Hard as nails

Want to grow my nails

For now,

To paint

And decorate,

To leave them alone

Takes a lot of restraint!

 

Used to pick them,

Flick them,

Cut them,

Bite!

They were a sight.

 

Used nail clippers

And for the toes in my slippers.

Now I just want

For them to grow

But what a blow –

They are so slow!

They’ve reached a plateau

And they keep splitting below.

 

I don’t want claws or talons

But want to varnish them-

By the gallon!

 

Thought it would be worthwhile

But so riled

To be using a nailfile

 

No manicure,

No pedicure,

No cure

For fucks’ sake

For my nails that break.

 

Copyright Linda Lawrence

 

24^th October 2023

 

Unprecedented

 

Unprecedented

 

 

The morning mist meets the grass,

A white thick ethereal opaque glass.

The cobwebs brush across my face.

The earth can be a beautiful place.

 

The morning dew on my flowers.

The sun and moisture from the showers.

A balance of natural phenomenon,

The circle of life awakes at dawn.

 

The world we know so beautiful

But knew the problems would ensue.

Our planet is changing very fast

While we’re still living in the past.

 

Times are shifting, different rules,

Eco's altered; we're not fools.

We need to agree and concur that

The changing world has incurred.

 

Altered effect of climate changes

Meltwater from the mountain ranges,

Hosepipe ban during summer days

While other countries are ablaze.

 

 Now things are getting out of sync

And making all of us rethink

Of how we can all make a change.

The world we knew we have estranged.

 

How can we undo and reverse

And love what we have on Mother earth

The lifeforms that have already evolved

They’ve adapted and revolved.

 

We’ve taken for granted our glorious world

And all but spoilt for all its worth.

All of it is greed and demand                             

That has been met with disregard.

 

Our nature lovers cry out loud,

A small percentage, a tiny crowd.

Have seen the changes over years

Speaking about our hopes and fears.

 

The globe it seems is getting warm,

Beginning to change our daily norm.

The weather patterns unprecedented

Have now become disorientated.

 

The overlapping of our seasons,

Aware of the many reasons

We’ve all been told and had warning

About our planet and global warming.

 

Cyclones, extreme heat, all the floods 

The spilling of much human blood.

These changes so unpredictable

The worlds’ becoming so unstable.

 

Ongoing is the deforestation 

For palm oil, so much exploitation.

It's distorted our earth’s atmosphere and

Living organisms in the biosphere.

 

The ice caps melt with alarming rate

We just don't know what is in our fate

They’ll  be a time the oceans will rise

We’ve got to adjust as they arise.

 

It doesn't matter what we do,

Our planet will not stay a perfect blue.

Through earths' natural circle, evolution

Despite our poison and pollution.

 

Copyright Linda Lawrence

 

7^th October 2023

 

Stye

 

Stye

 

I can clarify

(And don’t know why)

I have a stye

in my eye.

It feels quite dry

and want to cry!

Only had one last July!

It feels quite high

and as big as a fly

hope it’s just passing by.

I can’t deny

am horrified

and mortified

I Can’t pacify

and want this stye

to go away and die.

 

Copyright Linda Lawrence 29/09/2023

Flea flee!

 

Flea flee!

You’ve been around 100 million years     

Causing misery, the shedding of tears.

The armour on your outer shell

I really think you’ve come from hell.

 

Smaller than a grain of rice

I'm needing to take a vet’s advice.

And of you I’m so afraid

The species that spread the black death plague.

 

You can jump as high as my knee

Wish you’d stay away from me!

This really is my personal space

When I scratch spots upon my face.

 

You may lay two thousand eggs.

And of your powerful strong hind legs

You jump on me to have a feed,

A painful itch that scabs and bleeds.

 

You have no skin but many hairs

And seem to crawl out of nowhere!

In my bedding you make your lair

In cushions, chairs – just anywhere!

My floorboards and my pretty rugs

Are full of larvae and flea bugs,

My throws are full of blood suckers

You really are such motherfuckers.

 

Got comfortable in my nice warm home –

Stay near your host to live and roam.

Over time you will infest

In my house, I am so stressed!

 

Can’t see you on close inspection

But you have left me with an infection.

Sucked up blood, pierced through my skin

Spread your filthy germs and toxins.

 

You still survive if you don’t eat

In my house that has warm heat.

You used my cat to let yourself in

She’s scratching her sore animal skin.

 

Through the trees and on a breeze

In my home spreading your disease.

Of flea borne Lyme and tapeworm

Enough to make  me cringe and squirm.

 

Copyright Linda Lawrence

28^th October 2023