Monthly Archives: August 2022

Venerated Ruins

Venerated Ruins

The Scottish Borders Abbeys
Melrose, Dryburgh, Kelso, Jedburgh

Dryburgh Abbey 

 

                                                                             

Kelso Abbey

Serene in these ancient kirkyards
The ruins lie at rest
Testimony to their illustrious past
Historians will know best

Founded in the 12th Century
In King David’s reign
Scotland’s southern monasteries
Through all chance and change
Their mission was the same

Perpetual prayer and supplication
The Chapter and the Rule’s command
Hours of silence, simple tasks
The discipline demands

Despite the pursuit of such peace
The sanctuary oft disrupted
Warring factions, Border reives
Plunder and pillage their service interrupted

And now in modern times the silence reigns
Historic testimony their only proclamation
Mere venerated ruins with muted voice
Unheeded by our post-Christian nation

Ken Fisher

 

Apple

Apple
A Many Splendoured Thing

Thoughts about the Apple

Adam’s Apple – was that his downfall
Or was that Newton’s idea?

The Apple of his Eye – not a Crab
But a Golden Delicious

Don’t write off the whole barrel
Because of one bad Apple

The American Dream of Apple Pie
Blue Jeans and Chevrolet

It’s not Covid that keeps the Doctor away
It’s an Apple a Day

But in today’s world it is not the fruit we think of
But the iPhone, iPad, and iMac, Mackintosh’s iconic Apples

And of course, we cross the pond
To reach The Big Apple where Liberty welcomes us

Solomon pleaded –
Refresh me with Apples!
[Song of Solomon Ch2 V5]

Ken Fisher

[Cooking Apples from Mrs Fisher’s Allotment]

Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property
Here’s a Thought

Intellectual Property, often referred to as I P
Might be described as something I know that you don’t

Of course it’s not as simple as that
It’s something I know that you don’t
And that you might like to know

Individuals and businesses put value on I P
And although this kind of property in intangible
i.e you can’t open a box and bring it out
It can be worth a lot of money

I P consists of the fruits of someone’s ideas
An invention, a design, a formula, a prototype
And these creations are often protected by law
By means of patents, copyrights, trade marks,
Brand names and so on

Some intellectual property is considered to be
A valuable asset of the business
The benefits of which continue to accrue for years

We have all heard that Knowledge is Power
And applied knowledge, intellectual property,
Can be very powerful indeed.

Before factories and construction sites
And the creative arts studios of music and drama and literature
Can produce anything
The power house of invention and design
Will have been grinding away to yield
The conception from which I P is born

So we must continue to nurture and promote
The growth of I P
Through research and development in our
Universities and laboratories
And think tanks and dream factories
Where bright ideas are conjured up

Don’t give up on imagination!

Ken Fisher

Rampaging Inflation

Rampaging Inflation

A new scourge seems to be afflicting our nation
In the form of renewed rampaging inflation
Apparently the worst for over forty years
Enough to engulf all our other deep fears

We thought that Covid was enough to try us
As we sought relief from that menacing virus
But now the challenge is spiralling prices
And nobody knows quite what to advise us

Energy costs are going through the roof
The high figures quoted sound like a spoof
But regrettably these numbers are not any joke
The prospects of payment are quite beyond hope

The weekly shop we can no longer afford
But rocketing prices just can’t be ignored
We will have to cut down and do something rash
Or without doubt we will soon run out of cash

Those little treats we will have to forego
Reduce our drinking, that will be a blow
But there is little doubt we must reduce our spend
A more frugal life is what we commend

So you must tighten your belt and learn to cut back
Let’s hope that employers don’t give you the sack
We must brace ourselves throughout the nation
If we are to survive this rampaging inflation

Ken Fisher

 

Freak Out

Freak Out

Surprised, upset, angry, or confused
Quite suddenly your ego badly bruised
Your mood has changed, what’s that about?
From calm composure, complete freak out

What change of fortune, turning of events
Brings this sudden surge of discontent?
What bad tidings, what ill-timed casualty
Turns settled life into catastrophe?

The truth perhaps is not so clear
What to one person induces deadly fear
To others minor inconvenience all they feel
Their thoughts to reason will appeal

What can be the cause of a freak out?
What shocking fact might make you shout
Perhaps exam results you didn’t expect
New energy bills your budget wrecked!

Freak outs prompted by bad news
Foundering at some interviews
Pay rise that didn’t materialise
Failure to win the expected prize

But somehow we must learn to cope
Don’t despair, hold on to hope
Accommodate the unexpected
Little point in being dejected

Say good-bye to pointless freak out
From nasty frights avoid the fall-out
Hang on to sunny disposition
‘Keep calm’ become your new-found mission

Ken Fisher

Contrast the above poem with Inscrutable

Inscrutable

Inscrutable

search-3

The enigmatic pose
The impassive mind
The unknowable thoughts
The unfathomable depths
The impenetrable meaning
The inexplicable understanding
The unexpressive serenity

All these attributes
Displayed in one small (rather portly) frame

No warfare with the world
No conflict with oneself
No striving to achieve
No quest for success
No hiding from reality
No hostility to others
No internecine strife

Only peace and harmony
In a mind at ease

Ken Fisher

Contrast the above poem with Freak Out

This Sporting Life

This Sporting Life

If you’re not keen on sport
There’s nowhere to hide
Contests of all modes
On every side

England’s women footballers
Showed us the way
As in the Euros they
Did all others outplay

Now the Commonwealth Games
Showcasing sports of all kinds
In water, on track, on court
In teams, and solo, quite unconfined

Beach volleyball, judo, wrestling and squash
Marathon runners, sprinters at speed
Gymnastics, rugby, cricket and bowls
All demand that we should pay heed

Couch-potatoes now feeling quite overwhelmed
Seek shelter from this physical bonanza
Where can we find refuge
From this athletic extravaganza?

There is little doubt sport is a good thing
Boosting our health, promoting wellbeing
But with elite athletes we cannot compare
A more modest ambition is only fair

Ken Fisher