I am not all that I am supposed to be..

A cry a sigh a reason why
this world should be for me
No sanity, humanity
Can ever let me be

I close my eyes from troubled skies
Pretend I am elsewhere
But all around the folk I've found
Would rather I'm not there.

From days alone in mortgaged home
To Nights where sleep was lost
A price to pay for every day
It all comes down to cost.

The single tear then born from fear
Exposed your weaker side
A striking pose with runny nose
Your feelings you can't hide.

Confidence or on the fence
Our very soul at risk
No in-between for troubled teen
The punishment as brisk

So don't let bile turn people vile
Just be the friend you can
No medals earned for people spurned
Just love your fellow man.

The heart of rain.

The sweetest rainfall heaven sent

brings life where none yet known

It's soothing kiss upon the earth

The heart of seeds just sown


The mighty river ebbs and flows

Through deepest valley winding

But how that river once was borne?

As if we need reminding...!


The sweetest taste of natures fair

Such wonders she enchants

For every raindrop that descends

The gift of life she grants.



So next the rain it bothers you

Look skyward if you dare

Rejoice with me the gift of life

For all of us to share.

Heaven's scent

The breeze just wafts across the hillside

Takes the valleys in it's stride

Carries scent of natures pantry

There can be no place to hide 

Birds that hover on the thermals

Swoop when prey darts into view

Trees that shimmer in the sunlight

Seem to dance for me and you

Summer is alive and kicking

Busy showing off her wares

A multi-coloured sea of wonder

All around her soul she bares

Step into this realm of wonder

'Tis the greatest show on earth

No mear mortal put asunder

Just what this is really worth.

Time is not just here for wasting

Shame on you if that is so

Enjoy what nature lays before you

It's free for you to come and go

Join me here deep in the valleys

Sit with me the longest time

Lay your fears down with your worries

On natures beauty we will dine.

Views from the Brown Clee Hill

The realities of 'Prudence'

"If it wasn't so serious it would be laughable". I imagine if you are in business circles this statement is one you will have heard quite a bit recently. The truth is it IS serious and even worse it IS laughable how the current government posture and preen themselves in public gaze while doing absolutely nothing to ease the current burden being shouldered by SME's in this country.
The economy is reliant on SME's to spark the economy into life from the doldrums the city lowered us into over 3 years ago but instead of focusing on the core product this government like many others is going for the quick 'soundbite' to warrant it's existence. The reality is business people and businesses as a whole are slowly finding their work from ever decreasing circles of supply. In other words the very fuel they rely on to keep alight is dwindling fast.
Now, seasoned campaigners who have been through recessions before (myself included) realise that the sooner you take care of business then business takes care of you, a fact clearly not recognised by the current crew in parliament. SME's are the fuel for the economy as a whole, they are the nightwatchmen of the economy and you ignore them at your peril. Labour courted big business and sold it's corporate soul to the devil and we now see a re-enactment of the same scenario from the Coalition, who, we all remember came in on a wave of 'anti-red-tape' and a promise to secure funding at affordable levels from those who would see us in this mess in the first place, namely the banking industry. Neither of these promises have come to fruition. No surprise there then.
I don't blame government for all our woes, I think as a population we have lived on the credit card train at an unsustainable level far too long and it was always going to come back to haunt us. The 'buy now pay later' era has moved to it's second and hardest phase 'pay later' is here.  It seems we are too quick off the mark in wanting to find someone responsible for what in the end are our own very human-like shortcomings. The same can be said about the compensation culture, instead of a simple accident due to our own bad luck or (more often than not) our own stupidity we now HAVE to find someone to blame it on and seek compensation. It destroys our ability to work on our own initiative or take even the slightest risk and worse still it makes running a business a minefield with health and safety issues taking up more paperwork than the firms annual accounts.
So, here is some advice for those that would be king in Downing St.  Without fuel your economy will fail, so feed the SME's and they in turn will feed your economy. I would also suggest outlawing companies preying on the poorer amongst us touting for insurance 'no win no fee' accident claims. The money saved on payouts alone would surely equate to the funding of a Nationwide young apprentice scheme. Sounds simple?. The best solutions that work mostly are. Ask any businessman, oh sorry I forgot, we haven't any businessmen in government have we?....

The Spirit.

Would I walk with the spirit that so inspired my life?
Would I not be afraid of it's very presence so?
As light slowly fades so death follows life, sure,
And in that unknown darkness of death the spirit soars,
That which we know not of we are certainly afraid.
But have spirits not guided us or spoken to our mortal being?
Have we not meandered from the followed path just once or twice?
And if we knew it was a spirit that guided us hence to that place,
Surely it would follow that fear would be irrational now?.
But life is twisted in it's very course for us,
It holds all the answers and only gives us questions in it's living.
So to live must we embrace the spirit or curse it's following?
Only a wise man or a fool would dare answer with meaning.
Better to embrace the here and now and what you have become,
For only when the light is extinguished will the answer be given truthfully.
Therefore be not afraid I say, of that which you cannot change.
Embrace the spirit that walks with you. As you would any friend.

Breaktime..

Having been off for a few days to charge the batteries it's never easy coming to the last day, but there is also the thought of sleeping in your own bed once more (hotel beds are never the same) and for me the return to my beloved keyboard with fresh inspiration, so its a two sided sword.
Keeping the kids entertained is never good for inspiration of the written word, as any of you know who have them between the ages of 5 and 8!, so rather than try to be inspired I have bottled it all up for my return.
So after having swum in water-gardens,roller-coasted until I am dizzy and been up a tower that was 450ft high when my previous best was 10ft because i get vertigo on a shag pyle carpet, I think I have earned the right to sit at my keyboard for a few days in total peace and quiet.
That is of course as long as I am allowed to !

A snippet from 'A sense Of Duty'

 Currently I am writing my first novel, I have no idea if this is good or bad, only that it is something i need to say and want to say in words, more importantly i want to share it. Jake is a youngster being raised on a hillside in 1940's Shropshire. This is a small snippet of his story. Feedback would be a big help here, if you have the time. Thanks.

.......Jake had very few toys of any sort, being a country lad born and bred he made his own entertainment within reason, chasing the ducks and hens around the farmyard was indeed a great pastime for a 3 year old, on the other hand he gave the 20 or so geese that were kept for Christmas a little more respect.   Jake always looked up to his father greatly, he always emulated him as the big man walked across the beloved hills that they had made their own, striding with a stick that had a ‘v’ on the top of it to rest his thumb on, Jake would have his own small stick that he used and pretended to dig into the ground to help him on his way just like his father was doing. They would walk for miles together fetching sheep and cattle from across the hills or simply heading to the ‘local’ butchers and grocers, even though that was still a good 3 mile walk across country.

 The surrounding hills were as harsh in winter as they were breathtakingly beautiful in summer. The views from Clee Top were the best  in Shropshire , the fields and trees stretched for miles in front of them, homestead farms surrounded by small cottages that had small white wisps of smoke that seemed to hardly move from their chimneys, the only sign of visible life far into the distance. The summer brought a cascade of colour that showed the County in its most favoured light, Jake used to sit and listen for a few minutes at the noisy hum of so many insects going about their daily toil, a sure sign that summer was in full flow, the air smelt heavy with every fragrance that the thriving plant life could throw out into the air as it competed for the battling bees and other insect-like pollen catchers that danced amongst them.

These were Salad Days for Jake though he scarcely knew it. He lived amongst all this and thrived, Jake was home, at one with what nature had to tell him and slowly as his life mapped out and he grew older this would come more to the fore. But for now, Jake was happy just being Jake.

At the age of four Jake was sent to school. In those days mother didn’t bundle you into a warm car and go and meet the teachers for a quick chat to help you settle in,  Mum just waved from the front door and you walked, in Jakes case 2 miles to school, even on your very first day. A few older lads from neighbouring farms took Jake under their wings and showed him the ropes, something that was normal in the early 1930’s, elder children had responsibility that extended to the youngsters that were among them and Jake being Jake he soon made lots of new friends, however that didn’t detract from the fact that at 4 years of age Jake had to tackle his first day at school on his own an almost unimaginable scenario in today’s cushioned world.

A few months into school and Jake found himself sat next to one of the teachers daughters, a Miss Annabelle Spencer, who was just a little spoilt. Jake had never really seen eye to eye with this little starlet, but like his Dad before him, Jake said little and watched plenty. One particular morning the venerable Miss Spencer had an accident that resulted in a wet floor, something Jake found highly amusing, right up to the point where the little diva pointed Jake out as the culprit. Jake took the punishment of smacked legs, despite his innocence and lack of obvious physical evidence as to the deed and opted instead to tell his mum at teatime what had happened. His Mum Janet merely replied “I shouldn’t worry son, you won’t be there for very long anyway, its harvest time soon”.  Indeed those words were the catalyst that saw Jake miss out on plenty of schooling days,  it became the norm for Jake not to be in school and if he did he was almost always sent home for one reason or another, in fact late one June day he was sent home as it ‘looked like snow’ a reason that was common in winter but not so much nearing mid-summer!.

Jake was fast becoming a man of the land, his boyish good looks and blonde hair with soft blue eyes stood him out against his friends who teased his good looks more out of jealousy than an affliction that Jake had to bear. Jake was a fast runner too, very fast. He won many races at sports day in the local village and excelled at the distance running. In reality running was something Jake did every day of his life, fetching animals in and working the two sheepdogs the family farm kept. Jakes horsemanship was also excellent with his fearless ability and skill at reading animals thoughts and wishes, he treated them all with a respect that they seemed to acknowledge, Jake could make the sheepdogs work better than anyone on the farm, he seemed to be able to talk to them and they responded with great loyalty to their master who cared for them deeply, a fact the animals seemed to know. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, then at the ripe old age of 13 Jake was out of school for keeps. Jake was overjoyed to be out of School, but it was also a sad day as Jake knew that now he was expected to work on the family farm for good and seeing his many friends would become harder and harder to do as he picked up the mantle of farm worker from his dad.

One True Friend.

You caught me when I fell from grace
You stayed when times were thin
You helped to heal the open wounds
You found the man within

My heart had cried enough it seemed
Alone and on the brink
You filled my cup to brim with life
Then taught me how to drink

The hollow shell that once was me
Has found a way to live
The words of comfort we both shared
Were yours alone to give

Though time has been a cruel friend
The hurt and tears remain
It helps that i can take your hand
Just time and time again

So though I may be far away
Our soul's just melt as one
With you the girl that held me tight
And helped me find the sun.

Say what comes into your head..

Just flatlining..neutral.. a nothingness of words....this is what happens when i just write exactly what comes into my head.... don't ask me, I only write this stuff !



Sweet the sound of melody
Sweet the players tune
Sweet the day for you and me
Sweet the loving spoon

Sweet the days reality
Tho we can scarcely see
The way ahead for you and I
It's easier for me
 
Roll the day into the night
Halt the track of time
If you ask I say I might
It's never seemed sublime

Every heart that ever beat
Or sang a lovers tune
Has stolen just a slice of time
Or chased away the moon

But time and man can never wait
For any mortal soul
I stand alone and hesitate
Yet give the dice a roll

For what we say and what we do,
It's merely part of us
And this we are for evermore
So dont make such a fuss

Take the chance and run at life
One hit is all we get,
And if you're still found wanting
Well you havent finished yet... !

A little fun at our EU friends expense..

My apologies to Brussels in advance...!

One, two, three, four, five.
Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine ,ten,
Then I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because Brussels told me so.
Quotas full and that's my plight
Governments are always right.
 

 Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty dumpty had a great fall
He sued the kings horses he sued the kings men
And now he is richer than all Dragon's Den


Mary Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow
If its in the EU There will be a to do
If you haven't let MAFF and Co. know.


She sells seashells upon the seashore
But Eu told you she cant anymore
She sells seashells but needs a permit ticket
But she says No Eu you can bloomin stick it.

Little Miss muffet sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and way
But Brussels decided
They weren't confided
And told her to throw them away.

Mary had a little lamb
It hadn't got a billet
Brussels said we cant have that
And sent some men to kill it.

Little bo peep has lost her sheep
And doesn't know where they're at
She's been reported and now she's deported
And you can thank Brussels for that.

Incy wincy spider climbing up the spout
Incy wincy spider couldn't work it out
Out came the sunshine on that sunny morning
Along with the MP's who said its global warming


Simple Simon met a Pieman going to the Fayre
Said Simple Simon to the Pieman "can I taste your Wear"?
The Pieman said I'm sorry son but they are frozen hard
I transport them at -6 or Europe says I'm barred..