Im Not Really 60

Im Not Really 60 by Ms M J Hill

That's not my age; it's just not true.
My heart is young; the time just flew.
I'm staring at this strange old face,
And someone else is in my place!

My body's not in disrepair.
I've not much grey in my brown hair.
I sometimes feel a little tired
But go for jogs when I'm inspired.

This old age thing is not for me.
Concessions given, prescriptions free.
I'll just pretend I'm in my prime.
To age too fast would be a crime.

I'm just not 60 in my head.
It's still so long till I am dead,
So please don't see me in that way.
I'm staying young, if that's OK!

The Ballad Of Rum


The Ballad Of Rum

The Ballad Of Rum by Peter R Wolveridge

A dog wandered into our garden one day,
A friendly old mutt, didn’t look like a stray.
We never discovered whence he had come,
But we brushed him and fed him and the kids called him Rum.

Now as family members, even dogs must work hard,
So we put Rum on duty next door in our yard,
Bright eyed and watchful by night and by day,
But not much of a guard dog, I’m sorry to say.

He barked at the cats and he’d bark at a toad,
He barked at the cattle outside on the road,
He barked at the horses – so where did he fail?
You see, Rum liked people, and he just wagged his tail.

He liked the yard labour, an amiable bunch.
They fed our dog tidbits and scraps from their lunch.
Rum wolfed it all down, but to our dismay
He seemed to get fatter with each passing day.

Then one night when Rum was laid at his ease,
A burglar crept in just as quiet as you please.
He saw no alarms, heard no siren howling,
No guard dog for sure, there’d be barking and growling.

But Rum was awake and he’d seen him alright,
Delighted with company this time of the night,
He flew through the yard, his new friend to greet,
And his weight bowled the burglar right off of his feet.

The intruder got up and ran off with a wail
And Rum right behind him still wagging his tail.
He departed the yard he’d come in to burgle
Like a champion athlete clearing a hurdle.

But Rum couldn’t jump gates, so sadly instead
He picked up the thief’s wallet and went back to bed.
Next morning the evidence everyone viewed,
When Rum brought it to us, (just a little bit chewed).

Once given the wallet, the police didn’t fail
To capture the burglar and put him in jail.
His confession like wildfire spread through the town,
How a big vicious guard dog had knocked the thief down.

We all howled with laughter when we heard the story,
And Rum was our hero, he was basking in glory.
There’s been no attempts since to burgle our yard,
For everyone knows now that Rum is on guard.

Ode Written On The First Of January

Ode Written On The First Of January by Robert Southey
Come melancholy Moralizer—come!
Gather with me the dark and wintry wreath;
With me engarland now
The SEPULCHRE OF TIME!

Come Moralizer to the funeral song!
I pour the dirge of the Departed Days,
For well the funeral song
Befits this solemn hour.

But hark! even now the merry bells ring round
With clamorous joy to welcome in this day,
This consecrated day,
To Mirth and Indolence.

Mortal! whilst Fortune with benignant hand
Fills to the brim thy cup of happiness,
Whilst her unclouded sun
Illumes thy summer day,

Canst thou rejoice—rejoice that Time flies fast?
That Night shall shadow soon thy summer sun?
That swift the stream of Years
Rolls to Eternity?

If thou hast wealth to gratify each wish,
If Power be thine, remember what thou art—
Remember thou art Man,
And Death thine heritage!

Hast thou known Love? does Beauty's better sun
Cheer thy fond heart with no capricious smile,
Her eye all eloquence,
Her voice all harmony?

Oh state of happiness! hark how the gale
Moans deep and hollow o'er the leafless grove!
Winter is dark and cold—
Where now the charms of Spring?

Sayst thou that Fancy paints the future scene
In hues too sombrous? that the dark-stol'd Maid
With stern and frowning front
Appals the shuddering soul?

And would'st thou bid me court her faery form
When, as she sports her in some happier mood,
Her many-colour'd robes
Dance varying to the Sun?

Ah vainly does the Pilgrim, whose long road
Leads o'er the barren mountain's storm-vext height,
With anxious gaze survey
The fruitful far-off vale.

Oh there are those who love the pensive song
To whom all sounds of Mirth are dissonant!
There are who at this hour
Will love to contemplate!

For hopeless Sorrow hails the lapse of Time,
Rejoicing when the fading orb of day
Is sunk again in night,
That one day more is gone.

And he who bears Affliction's heavy load
With patient piety, well pleas'd he knows
The World a pilgrimage,
The Grave the inn of rest.

31st December

31st December Poem by Gajanan Mishra
Last day of the year,
Today,31st December, dear,
I hope you all on this very day,
Stay and enjoy without fear.
Live a life of human being
With compassion, forgive
And forget all for any action.
Live a life with nectar, my dear,
And see, everyone as your
Near and dear and keep all
Together, treat them as
One family members, all love,
All peace be with you
During the whole next new year.

Gajanan Mishra

December 31st by Marina

December 31st by Marina Gipps
Black glove at my neck- the end of the year.
Those lovers were soldiers, bed spies,
bombs of leg losing, the mind dropping in one blow.

Masters of bullets, sacred sabotage, reasons why
I listened to the radio blaring the sweet song
of someone else's bad news.

Voices of valleys in the distance,
sinking at the notice of runaway trains,
the apocalypse-what little we know of it,
the quiet contemplation of last night's champagne.

I search for any light in the flickering distance,
as the sound of the unknown approaches.

MARINA GIPPS

December 31st

December 31st by Richard Hoffman
All my undone actions wander
naked across the calendar,

a band of skinny hunter-gatherers,
blown snow scattered here and there,

stumbling toward a future
folded in the New Year I secure

with a pushpin: January’s picture
a painting from the 17th century,

a still life: Skull and mirror,
spilled coin purse and a flower.