Category Archives: Events

Poems for special events and occasions

Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice

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A glimpse of sunshine warms our heart
Flowers and leaves reflect the light
The gentle rays caress our brow
Our lips widen with a smile

For now the daytime stretches out
Filling each hour with gentle light
Dark days of winter long forgot
We rejoice in life outside

From this ‘crows nest’ of the year
We scan the horizon fore and aft
Behind long hours of winter gloom
Then spring pregnant with promise

Ahead the prospect of summer warmth
And autumn’s gold and russet tints
But winter’s spectre lurks beyond
Vaguely threatening summer’s peace

Ken Fisher

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Barbecue Time!

Barbecue Time!

[In anticipation of the annual TRG BBQ]

 

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Once again it’s time for our annual barbecue
Cheer up, it’s no day to be feeling blue
Let’s hope the sun will shine this year
And bring to all some needed cheer

If all goes well it should be great
Make sure you don’t arrive too late
Tempt your tum with tasty food
The chatter helps you to feel good

This year the weather may be kind
Helping each of us unwind
No heavy agenda to discuss
No leader to create a fuss

So, as we now anticipate
The sizzling burgers on our plate
Meat or veggie, make your choice
Don’t be shy, let’s hear your voice

We’ll try to ensure you’re satisfied
At least you’ll realise we tried
To bring to you a feast that’s hearty
Amidst a joyous festive party

Ken Fisher

IN or OUT – Does it Matter to You? [The European Referendum]

IN or OUT  Does it Matter to You?

[An observation on the European Referendum]

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The airwaves pulsate with the broadcast debate
Each side convinced of their argument’s weight
Those pro-Europeans who want us to stay
Against Brexit supporters who wish us away

Experts have weighed in on each side of the fence
Learned opinion both For and Against
Those who feel if we leave we will all just go bust
Others say those ‘bean-counters’ you never should trust

Brexit supporters say the greatest threat to our nation
Are unending waves of cross channel migration
Each year those who move here exceed those who leave
Causing problems of which we yet cannot conceive

On the side of ‘remain’ are the financial guru’s
Lamenting the prospect of missing Euros
The continent provides us with markets galore
Depletion of profits we must surely deplore

On a serious note ‘sovereignty’ affects how we live our lives
And history tells us, a cause of much strife
The Leave campaign says Europe seeks to rule all
Their restrictions become the supreme protocol

The EU comprises some huge institutions
Each one determined to find good solutions
Through its Treaties, Decisions, Rules and Directives
They say they make laws that are truly effective

But some in our land question if all this is needed
And our autonomous actions are thereby impeded
They claim that an enlarged Europe is much overgrown
And now is the hour to strike out on our own

We have ceded to Europe the right of control
And political union is their supreme goal
But the Stay campaign deny this is true
And many safeguards this aim would subdue

In addition to these undoubtedly critical factors
There are other issues which to all of us matter
Many Brits love their two weeks in glorious sun
As ‘Non-Europeans’ travel might be less fun

And others whose thoughts are more philosophical
Think of the wide implications, social and political
Is not Europe much safer if to it we belong?
From inside, more chance to right any wrong

Many Brexit supporters abhor Europe’s rules
Laid down they claim by bureaucratic fools
Others say that Europe protects those who labour
And o’er the years it has shown workers favour

And so they go on striking points off each other
Showing little regard for their European brother
While each of us tries to discern what is best
As through all the fog, the ‘facts’ we digest

Perhaps in the end the choice that we make
Between complex issues, so very opaque
May simply be what in our heart we think right
Which the future will tell by the use of hindsight!

Ken Fisher

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Glasgow’s West End Charms

Glasgow’s West End Charms
[Look out for the West End Festival 3 – 26 June 2016]

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The centre of the universe where ‘life’ begins and ends
The hub, the focus, the vortex, on which true joy depends!
You can travel far and wide to the corners of the earth
And fail to find a home to match the West End’s worth

What is the fascination that this inner suburb brings?
Advocates would claim an extensive range of things
From its old world charms and faded housing stock
To pubs like the Curlers, the Aragon and the Rock

Restaurants and cafes abound on every lane and street
Friends and neighbours gather and each other greet
From early morn till late at night the coffee’s on the boil
Student baristas thereby finding useful toil

Others of a more sober thoughtful disposition
Revel in its Uni ‘s lofty learning mission
Religious devotees can find all Gods’ houses here
Seeking spiritual comfort without the need for beer

Many find that leisure abounds here in G12
Cinemas, the baths and libraries wherein to delve
Our public park is elevated to the status of Botanics
And you can follow any interest here even if you’re manic

So you can see why so many like Hillhead, Partick and Dowanhill
Living here in Glasgow’s terms is nothing short of ‘brill”
It’s got the lot for students, workers, e’en those on the pension
Its distractions are sure to relieve all your ills and tensions

So let us raise a cheer for all who promote this happy place
The Annual Festival which provides a great showcase
But above all let’s give thanks for this haven we call home
Our heart’s desire and trysting place no matter where we roam

Ken Fisher

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The State Opening of Parliament

The State Opening of Parliament

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Pomp and pageant, precedent and politics
Golden coach and heraldic caravanserai
The sovereign at parliament
Noble head bearing the Imperial Crown
And shrouded in the Robe of State

The Queen enthroned, confronts her Lords Spiritual
And Temporal in the grandeur of the upper house
The Commons symbolically excluded, then reluctantly
admitted as Black Rod hammers on the door

The procession to the Lords’ chamber led by
The Speaker of the Commons as lesser members
Follow on, recognizable faces then others in their turn
Thus all of parliament awaits the monarch

The Queens’s speech – written by the government
Mouthed by the sovereign, outlines the proposals for
Legislation and reform. Filled with noble aims
And high ideals but seasoned by ideology of the party

Thus the plans for the new session are set forth
Royalty, in great dignity retreat, and both houses
Begin the debate on the content of that speech
First to agree ‘An address in reply to Her Majesty’s
Gracious Speech’    Then let battle commence!

Thus continues a tradition stretching back to the 17th Century
Perhaps somewhat archaic but truly redolent of our
Constitutional democracy.

Ken Fisher

 

Digital Memorial

Digital Memorial

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Recent reports in the press and elsewhere point to a novel trend
Instead of erecting a tombstone or other such tangible shrine
The deceased, in advance, or their bereaved loved ones, in time
Have chosen a modern way for their lifetime’s work to transcend

Apparently we no longer live just in our everyday material sense
Our footprint on life reaches right up and enters into the ‘cloud’
And if others would know of all those deeds of which we think we’re proud
They should be made aware of what they were and similarly from whence

They thus can be informed of all those whose life we helped improve
And how in so many ways we facilitated much worthy change
Where our little efforts helped to bring about such serious gains
Or those, thanks to us, who found their burdens were lessened or removed

And where do our mourners find this great record of multiple achievement?
Normally it appears in an obituary, or some other published eulogy
But the digital memorial requires a great deal of electronic scrutiny
A much more complex appraisal amidst the process of bereavement

The daily paper’s death notice or the clergyman’s funeral oration
Are too limited to provide all that can be trawled on today’s social media
Whose various forms taken as a whole are large as an encyclopaedia
Thus Face Book, Linked In, Twitter, and YouTube each make their declaration

About the life of the deceased, in short messages, tweets, and clips encapsulated
Thus revealing to the world, in sound bites and Photoshop images
And snippets of communication in a million email messages
Like shards in a kaleidoscope our little life thus venerated

I’m not sure that the digital memorial is better than a graveside stone
And no matter what Big Data may tell of our life’s distinctive story
Of our dark days and sometimes even those of joy and glory
I prefer something more dignified than downloads from my phone!

Surely the best memorial that most people would truly respect
Would be recognition of our ‘real time’ presence among all those we loved?
And no matter how many followers clocked us from the cloud above
Our true friends’ joyous remembrance would the best we might ever expect

Ken Fisher

[The idea for this poem based on an item in the BBC Radio 4 Sunday Programme on 8 May 2016]

 

Election Time – After the Event

Election Time

The day after polling day

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A long sleepless night, the vigil of the Results
Much excitement throughout the land
Early reports show the participation rates quite high
No man or his dog could escape the frisson

Polling day witnessed the stations fully used
No boredom or tedium this Thursday
And steady flows of voters
Eager to make their choices

The complexities of our PR voting system
Do not seem to have caused the voters great confusion
Whether it creates a two-tier universe of MSPs
In due time this seems to matter little

The magic hour of 10 o’clock, no more ticking
The metal caskets sealed and sent on their way
The smooth electoral machinery secures their safe progress
Ensuring each one directed to their counting station

World’s media turns on its search-lights
Politicians and pundits hover by the podium
At first there is little to say as there are no results
And comment from participants seems ambivalent

Then the early results – from small rural communities
Throw a crumb to the hungry journalists
Extrapolating tiny numbers into ‘national swings’
After all they have to say something

Gradually the momentum grows
Hopes begin to be dashed or faint hearts warmed
Explanation and rationalization comes thick and fast
Warning against early conclusion

Airwaves filled with chatter, rudely interrupted
The result is coming in from ……….shire
Self-important returning officers
Give their unhurried verdict to the anxious listeners

Broadcast journalists seize the opportunity
To demand some instant response
To any turn of events that challenges their prey
They go straight for the jugular

As the dark hours give way to daylight

A clearer picture takes shape, firmer outcomes predicted
Sharper focus now demanded in comments and explanations
The results seem to say this election has more to do
With constitutional issues than the traditional divide

The protagonists now face their new reality
Some heave a huge sigh of relief
Others nurse their wounds
Whither now the future of Scotland?

Ken Fisher

The Bank of Mum&Dad (BoMaD)

The Bank of Mum & Dad 

 

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It would appear from press reports that if you find you’re short of cash
And trying to buy a house without the necessary stash
If you’re getting nowhere with the usual high street lenders
And chances of scaling the property ladder are getting ever slender

Then the best prospect for those who hold such aspirations
Is to maintain accord with your very close relations
Because it seems you will need to bring out that begging bowl
And ask your Mum and Dad if they will kindly you bankroll?

Costs of fleeing the nest seem to forever spiral
House price inflation having gone completely viral
So ‘baby boomer’ parents find that in this world gone mad
The desirable new brand is simply called BOMAD*

And offspring for sure are rarely being coy
As they latch on to this money-seeking ploy
As their elders have gained by rises o’er the years
And their bricks became a goldmine in common with their peers

So watch out all parents if you thought your wealth secure
You can’t ignore the pleadings of your kids who’re oh so poor
Cancel world cruises or a room in that care home
You’ll need to give your progeny more than chromosomes!

Ken Fisher

*BoMaD = Bank of Mum & Dad

Emblem: M&D from Shelter

 

 

My Attempt to Save BHS!

My attempt to save BHS [British Home Stores]

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Having heard the bad news about BHS
One of our favourite stores, I have to confess
It’s fate hangs in the balance as it waits to be saved
Although I fear it won’t escape completely unscathed

Founded in 1928 this well-known retailer has made its mark
And news of its predicament seems all very stark
We knew there were problems, but hoped they might pass
And that thoughts of closure it might simply bypass

But today its seems to stand on the brink
And without some help it surely will sink
So although I have no means to solve all its woes
I thought it might help if I bought a few clothes!

When I visited the store to my great delight
Its welcoming windows were still shining bright
And better still (although perhaps not for them)
There were discounts on offer wherever we went

Although we could not make any magnanimous gesture
We hope in a small way we might have brought pleasure
As I rifled the shelves for a really good deal
And found two nice shirts which I thought had appeal!

So although we clearly could not redeem the store’s fate
[I think that to do that it is now far too late]
But perhaps by our small deed we still hope and believe
That from disaster surely someone will BHS retrieve

 

Ken Fisher

The Schools’ Mid-term Holidays

The Schools’ Mid-term Holidays

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The joy of our teachers, the scourge of the parents
These inconvenient breaks amidst each school term
Those well enough off will find this no challenge
For they will be jetting off towards the lure of the sun

But what about the rest of us not quite so well-heeled?
How do we cope with our offspring when there’s no-one
To take on the duty in loco parentis, to share in this task
of minding our own so that we may still work?

Well such a challenge demands great ingenuity
And perhaps not a little subterfuge or even guile
Neighbours and friends who may owe us a favour
But most likely grandparents find that love demands all

But even if we have managed to fill the great breach
And the homegrown ‘cavalry’ have answered the call
How will they amuse them and ensure that each one will
Survive the whole week and still smile through it all

Well a search on the websites might prove somewhat fruitful
As entrepreneurs have jumped on this chance
To maximize profit by flaunting their ‘solutions’
In carnival thrills or wild adventure challenges

Others have decided that the health of the nation
Would be much improved by athletic endeavour
Thus swimming, and skating, and climbing up walls
Present us with chances to risk body and souls

Fortunately the local councils are making some effort
By drawing us in to their manifold facilities
To educate and inform using special events
At libraries, sports centres, even the public parks

One thing is for certain, no matter what we do
To amuse and occupy these hours of enforced leisure
At cinema, science centre, historical site or museum
It will not come cheap in hard money or effort

However, the schools holiday break should still be a pleasure
We might even find time to build broken bridges
To bond with our loved ones throughout its duration
Yet our smiles might sometimes be through gritted teeth!
Ken Fisher

 

The Bonhomie of the Coffee Club

The Bonhomie of the Coffee Club

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One of life’s greatest pleasures, I have to say
Is joining with friends on Coffee Club day
And as we all gather round this steaming libation
The brew is transformed like some precious oblation

As we savour the mixture of espresso or latte
Americano, cappuccino, or fine macchiato
Café Cubano, cortado or simple flat white
These wonderful flavours our palates excite

But perhaps even more than these tastes so exotic
Is the joy of companionship almost hypnotic
‘Cause when you’re together with like-minded friends
Our everyday worries we soon learn to transcend

So perhaps in place of a doctor’s prescription
And even now at the risk of a mild new addiction
Why not succumb to the Coffee Club’s charms
And relax oh so gently in caffein’s warm arms?

Ken Fisher

 

 

 

When the Light Darkens – Again

When the Light Darkens – Again
Following the Paris bombings in November, now in Brussels

Now at this time of Tenebrae in the days leading to Easter when the candles are successively extinguished to bring only darkness, we reflect again on the clouds over Europe.  I present once more my poem written following the Paris Bombings – When the Light Darkens

 

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Brussells

 

When life seems good and full of light
How can its days turn into night?
But that it does there is no doubt
And inwardly we have to shout

 

What has gone wrong, who can we blame?
Why can’t our path remain the same?
A life of praise for all its joy
No longer does our heart employ

 

We seek for reasons why things change
And far and wide our thoughts do range
But contemplation brings no balm
It does not cheer or bring us calm

 

We agonise o’er words and deeds
O’er failure to confront the needs
That might this tragedy divert
And so our sorrow thus avert

 

But in this time of sad reflection
No nostrum found for lost affection
And only sadness is in sight
No early hope of love or light

 

Thus we must journey on our way
No cure for pain our fears allay
Our only hope that time might ease
And thus restore our inward peace

 

But just as night will turn to day
We’ll find again the sun’s bright ray
Will slowly mend our broken heart
As warmth and love it does on us impart

 

Ken Fisher