Poems, stories and other rubbish!

Sunday, 16 August 2026

A burst of yellow

Somewhere in the troposphere over Atlantic and Med sea,

You’re carried along the thermal winds flying so freely.

If you survive the journey here, there are no guarantees;

Robust these little creatures, brave and so gutsy!

So dainty and delicate but powerfully strong,

You let the winds blow you on a journey so long.

High enough to stay safe and away from birdsong

In the clouds, above the ground helping you along.

A whole day of flying from May to early June,

Driven by our weather fronts in front of a full moon.

You are only slightly bigger than a tablespoon!

Basking in the sun from morning to late afternoon.

A massive cloud of yellow finally descends.

You stay here in our grasslands until it’s time for your ascent.

To the amazement of devotees to our eyes behold,

Your colours of upper wings of pretty yellow and marigold.

Watch you flitter from flower to flower to see you feed,

On nectar, wild flowers and some common weeds.

On our pastures you leave your eggs as you mate and breed.

From you so glad you leave us something of your seed.

And the ladies of white, so pretty a Helice they are named

Take a photo of this pretty female – put her in a frame!

From Africa, Middle East, Greece, Italy to Spain,

Until they land on our shores in the UK once again.

You cannot survive our winters, for you it is too cold

For a cold blooded insect on the sunshine you are sold.

Your colours are so stunning, from orange to green gold

This year you’ve been seen from Scotland to Cotswolds!

Your beautiful black borders, such a handsome little fellow!

It was overwhelming to meet and greet a migrant Clouded Yellow.

Close your wings and rest, see spots of greeny-yellow.

Enjoy your stay in Britain with your foodstuff in our meadows!

16^th August 2026

Saturday, 8 August 2026

Daylight murder

You’re back again you murderers!

Destroying their abodes.

Chop them down with your cutters

Because it’s not far from a road.

Bats, badgers, amphibians, birds,

Habitats, all living things.

Woody shrubs, sheltered and safe.

Such diversity they bring.

Foodstuff for little creatures,

All gone in one crude swipe.

We can’t live without our bees

Or other kinds of wildlife.

They bring joy to little people -

Smiles of pure delight!

Colours of beauty on the eye -

Have you really got that right?

Keep using your man made machines

Your behaviour is malign.

Our creatures keep on struggling

And already in decline.

Eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis ,

And now they’re in demise

You must keep Britain tidy

But you’ll kill the butterflies.

Planted in, such small trees

Takes years for them to grow.

Now reaching out, your hydraulic arm

Along the pretty hedgerow.

Beetles, grubs, millions of insects,

Their safe migration pathways.

All gone in one fell swoop;

You just had to clear the way.

They don’t own the earth

Nor do those who live here

We were given to love and see

We cry but you don’t hear.

8^th August 2026

Bone-dry

Cars unwashed, plants are dying

We’re in a drought , there’s no denying.

Wild fires, forests all ablaze,

Mile on mile of smokey haze.

A punctured pipe that’s not been fixed

The South-East again, has been jinxed.

Line up in heat for our supplies,

Our taps, again have run dry.

Yet again, a water restriction

We’re so fed up with contradictions!

The grass is brown, we’re all struggling

And our new water bills are very puzzling.

Raw sewage spilt in the sea;

What is to become of you and me?

Drips of water from our taps.

The spiel you’ve given is just pure crap.

Now another massive leak

Used sticking plaster, give it a tweak.

Litres of water flood the road

The bottled water, saved up loads.

Thanks to your failure of supply,

Everything we look at is bone-dry.

There’s poo that we can’t flush away,

Down the loo it has to stay.

So when can you tell me why

The real reason why taps have run dry?

Without the need for excuses or lies,

When we need it most, in hot July.

On the beach, shells, pretty bits and pieces,

Mixed with raw sewage with stinking faeces.

The basic human right of seaside

Has become so dangerous, now people have died.

Allowed to swim in toxic ocean

Not one of us had a notion

They tell us shareholders will have to pay

For the mistakes you have made today.

7^th August 2026

Saturday, 11 July 2026

Estranged

I remember the tents you built in the garden

Blankets held together with mum's washing pegs!

Enough room with my friend over the road,

My comfortable house on the grass

And the pillows we used for our beds and heads!

The best house in the street, my own abode!

One Christmas Mum and dad had bought me Patch,

You let me play with your dolls Cindy and Paul.

They were a happy family, much like us

Paul had brown plastic hair, blue eyes and was very tall;

She was up to date with knitted clothes and curly hair,

But Paul wasn't a 'man' and was nonplus.

You used to make me gooey icing sugar on a plastic plate

Which tasted divine from Mum's cupboard of food!

A shared Oxo cube late at night in bed,

The salty crumbs that made a mess on the sheets!

You took them from the Oxo tin and had to be shrewd

Always so tasty, the best in the world, food spread.

And those crunchy biscuits from chocolate and cornflakes

My tooth fell out while tucking in - or did it break?

The Spirograph, its maths and patterns - amazing!

And Lego, you built me things with bricks of red and white

And when I saw what you made, it was such a delight!

These, still in my house, they don't need replacing.

So upset when you paddled in the Lea and cut your foot

Did you have stitches? It was cut right open.

Dad was mad and sad that you caught it on glass

But you were lucky that no limbs got broken

And it all happened in the morning, so very fast,

So long ago, while many years have passed.

The hairy caterpillars we looked after and fed

Found on the privet bush and lilac tree.

We kept their jars clean and safe in the shed.

Then changed to a chrysalis, knew they were purebred

And after some time, the Tiger moth emerged

And watched them all fly free.

A fashion guru, kaftan, hotpants, cropped hair.

I don't think Dad approved and said a silent prayer!

The bunk beds in the same room that we shared

I used to annoy you pushing my feet up and didn't care!

We kept some toys from years ago among our teddy bears.

Evenings, we'd learn the alphabet backwards in the cold night air.

A bag of sweets from Woolworths, every Saturday after work,

Sherbert dip, jellies, love hearts, white chocolate Milky bar!

The music you borrowed from the library when you left school,

T. Rex, Hendrix, Status Quo and always my favourite ELO!

There were so many groups difficult to name them all

But your turntable was busy, always on the go.

I remember with affection, the happier early days,

But how quickly, in one day, the world turned upside down.

A tragedy in the early seventies when Dad was taken away.

Many things and relationships began to change

Doubt if I will see you again, we've completely broken down

And sadly to this day, we remain estranged.

11th July 2026

Tuesday, 23 June 2026

Just happy tears

Please don't cry!

Name a star after me

In the sky!

A novice poet -

Blow it!

Please don't dwell

And wonder why.

When it's dark

Please don't think too deep

About me,

Just the funny things!

Our lives on this earth

End just too fast.

Enjoy your life

Go far and wide

I'll be around

And try to guide.

During the night

When it's clear

Ill be bright

And be with you

Until daylight.

And during the day

When butterflies

Fly your way

Whether yellow, blue

A purple hue

I'll be nurturing you.

25^th June 2026

Hooked on cruising

Hooked on cruising!

Different every day,

Confused people like us

Trying to find their way!

Mini city on the water,

Would really love to stay

Can't wait to dock around

A pretty picturesque bay.

I've lost count of staircases

And lifts on this

Gigantic boat!

15 restaurants, 5000 people

How does it ever float!

Warm up in a jacuzzi

While docked in ice and snow,

The sun was hot

We took the photos!

Glaciers and mountains

Find a legend between

So glad we've been!

Fjords and those trolls

God bless their souls!

And all the indulgent

Al carte,

I'll keep a cruise holiday

Close to my heart!

Young people, some older

Always something to do

When I look over my shoulder!

Cocktails, mocktails

Or a glass of champagne,

Would like to watch

The same theatre show

Once again.

The dips, the sips

Taste lingers on our lips

Then tread on foreign land

For a booked trip

So pretty, wooden homes

Nothing like our bricks

And stones

Love sailing on the sea

A perfect holiday for you and me

Changed

Changed

I was no longer me

When I saw the sign for oncology.

How do I feel today?

I don't know -

Maybe every which way.

I'm not who I was

And think differently

And won't lie

Thought I might die.

Cannot equate

To this disease

And just asking

For you to understand

And help me please.

I try to have fun,

Laugh

But only manage

Frightened paragraphs

Must not drink two point five

Otherwise

I won't stay alive.

Liver not happy,

Don't know why

Go to do the right thing

Important to try.

Slice by slice

They'll look inside

See if any organs

Are by the wayside.

Or fix this hernia!

It's getting worse!

Before they take me away

In a hearse.

My body ain't right

It feels lumpy

And each time I feel or look,

It appears more bumpy.

A bypass for humour

It's very slowly going

And much of my thinking

Is there another tumour

Growing?

Puffed out

What's that about?

Some iron required?

Lack of concentration

Is getting worse

My frustration

It feels like a curse.

The medication leaving

Ugly marks

And with that

Some mental scars.

And the likelihood

Of my livelihood

Will completely end.

Climbing the stairs

Reaching the top

Sit down quickly

Just want to flop.

And on exertion

The shortness of breathing

(and some wheezing)

Will be looked at soon

In a few afternoons

Another cannula

Another insertion.

Copyright Linda Lawrence

23^rd June 2026