Inspiration

Inspiration [The 400th Poem posted on the Bard of Kelvindale Site]

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Sometimes in trying a poem to compose
I am filled with feelings of frustration
No new thoughts can I propose
Mind blank, devoid of any inspiration

On other days ideas come teeming in
Thoughts tumbling over in profusion
From outside or sometimes deep within
No hesitation, no muddle or confusion

How to account for these opposing moods?
Why at times words readily are found
At others groping for my muse
Inspiration tightly bound

Ofttimes when no shining light has dawned
When no spark fires the imagination
And idea’s seed cannot be spawned
The page kept barren of proclamation

But in due time the muse returns
Muted voice strangely reawakened
Again with yearning the heart will burn
And taciturnity quickly forsaken

Thus o’er these years words shaped into verse
400 poems for your delectation
My thoughts before you I rehearsed
Grateful for your dedication

Ken Fisher

The Great British Beach Hut

The Great British Beach Hut

During this great summer of exceptional heat
While languishing on a fine east coast beach
I rediscovered this classic wooden structure
A credit to the practitioners of our architecture

I refer of course to the beach hut or cabin
A seaside feature you may long have forgotten
Indeed these bijou gems are by no means extinct
Resplendent in colours from blue through to pink

Apparently these tiny buildings are still much sought after
And despite being the butt of much ignorant laughter
They survive to provide many convenient features
To assist the regiments of sun-seeking creatures

For although the facilities in them are basic
They offer the users a handy oasis
From the trials of getting undressed on the sand
Where our nudity is not something we should grandstand

The owners have employed much ingenuity
Making the maximum use of all opportunity
The internal space to greatly enhance
Thus their convenience they truly advance

The way in which the space has been utilized
Would be to many, quite a surprise
Each nook and cranny is called into service
A function is found for every shelf and surface

In the bright summer days they give ready shade
And when rain arrives we can quickly evade
The hazards that threaten to disturb our peace
As we try to relax and be quietly at ease

One interesting fact is that huts cost quite a lot
And over the years prices don’t seem to drop
Whether you simply pay rent or take steps to own
Make sure you get value from this temporary ‘home’

So whether you are seated outside in your chair
Or inside to keep the rain off you hair
You will reflect on the merit of such private space
The British Beach Hut – the pride of our race!

Ken Fisher

Home and Away

Home and Away

 

It is that time of year of the great escape
Abandon the treadmill of the daily round
Head for the shore, seek a wide landscape
Everyday worries we strive to confound

Yet the exodus is not without its own travail
Would that we could be transported without stress
That in our moving calm might still prevail
No anxiety inhibit our hopeful progress

And on arrival at our chosen destination
Perhaps perplexed by things quite unfamiliar
Still we lack that sense of jubilation
And disappointment creeps in to bewilder

Our holiday should bring us rich renewal
The impact of unanticipated surprise
The involvement in exploits quite unusual
For jaded body and soul a treasured prize

But when excitement slowly ceases to amuse
And thoughts return to comforts of our home
The novelty of absence becomes diffuse
And we find little pleasure as we roam

It is then that home seems more blessed than away
The solace of the familiar brings reassurance
No longer the impetus for us to stray
Prolonged absence would be mere forbearance

Ken Fisher

Turmoil

Turmoil

It has been said we are a nation in turmoil
Beset by confusion, upheaval, ferment and unrest
No still waters, everything kept on the boil
Unsure what to do, how to act for the best

The political scene is fraught with agitation
Factions convinced of the merits of their case
No sense of unity within the nation
The clamour of the marketplace

But turmoil is not just in the world external
Our very souls oft engaged in inner warfare
We have lost the desire for love fraternal
Obsessed by self we sink into despair

Would some power bring calmness to the storm
Restore peace where conflict still prevails
Make cool reason once again the norm
Rebalance the constant shifting of the scales

Ken Fisher

Etch A Sketch

Etch A Sketch

[On Etch A Sketch Day 12 July 2018]

 

I am sure if you recall your childhood days
One favourite toy with which to play
Was the Etch A Sketch tablet, a clever device
And parents were sure it was well worth the price

Because this novel invention could ‘wipe the slate clean’
And then begin to trace out a new magical scene
Using the two knobs to control the direction
We could bring our ideas into graphic perfection

The mechanical workings of the cunning machine
Allowed lines to be drawn thus creating a scene
One knob directs a line on the horizontal plane
The other one, vertical, but just the same

Thus by deft movement and manipulation
We can represent virtually any situation
Landscapes and portraits can all be displayed
And no budding artist will e’er be dismayed

So on this Etch A Sketch Day we fondly recall
Of the times when computers could not do it all
Giving thanks for the joy of this quirky possession
Unlike smart-phone usage – not inducing addiction

Ken Fisher

Waistcoat Wednesday

Waistcoat Wednesday

 

It matters not if you’re rich or poor
The new dress code makes it de rigueur
To be wearing this jacket without any sleeves
The humble waistcoat – would you believe?

The World Cup is surely not just about footy
It would appear that it’s still a Manager’s duty
To show as much style along the touch-line
As all the star players they ever did sign

Never mind the WAGS made up so classy
Dressed to the nines ever so flashy
It’s the boss who excels with such flair and poise
Surpassing the glamour of those girls and their boys

It is to Gareth we accord our congratulations
His success has matched all our expectations
And whatever comes next, at least we can hope
And if all else fails still wear the waistcoat!

Ken Fisher

 

Attitude

Attitude

 

This may sound like platitude
And can’t be claimed with certitude
If only thoughts might be imbued
With thankfulness and gratitude
Those lurking doubts might be subdued
And confidence once more renewed
Banishing disquietude
By choosing the right attitude

But what attitude should we exude?
What is bad and thus not good
We must speak truth and not delude
What virtues should then be pursued
To others demonstrate solicitude
Eschewing all  turpitude
Forgiving to the multitude
Our love shown in magnitude
Surely the right attitude

Ken Fisher

Independence Day (4th July)

Independence Day

 

Greetings to our friends across the pond
Of whom, despite The Donald, we are quite fond!
Whatever might be your future fate
It’s bound to show that you’re still great

Of the Special Relationship no-one seems sure
But after so much time it should remain secure
And as the globe shrinks with every passing year
The cyber world perhaps brings greater fear

So thank you still for American Pie
And Stars and Stripes this 4th July
After 242 years as a new nation
You deserve warm congratulations!

Ken Fisher