POEMS

INNOCUOUS

I had my Oxford Covid jab And I was quite content It guaranteed immunity At sixty- two percent The odds are not that great But I wasn’t really sore Until I saw the German one With ninety percent or more But I just shrugged my shoulders And thought it was Okay Until my Missus got the needle Earlier today And I asked her what she got And she told me it was Pfizer So she got Crystal champers And I got bloody Tizer sent from my iPad

Jim Kyle, North Cornelly

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THE POWER OF LOVE

Love is a word we’ve all heard of, Most experience it every day, The love for a child or a parent, Is a strong one wouldn’t you say?

The powers of Mother Nature, Will ease you if you’re feeling tense, The hug of a tree, the sweet scent of flowers, The energy’s really immense.

But the feelings of love for a partner, Is the one that most comes to mind, The one that we seek in our lifetime, It’s really quite one of a kind.

And if you are lucky to find it, Your soul partner, a mirror of you, Don’t forget to give thanks to the powers that be, For without them what would we do?

Marilyn Cook, Bridgend

FRAGRANCE

Precious memories, long forgotten Fragrance of a wild rose Or a hidden bank of violets Hidden there for the one who knows Fragrance rare for some proud beauty Or Grandmama’s sweet lavender All of these awaking memory Carrying us back to days of yore

There are other scents and flavours Wafting sweet nostalgia now Wood smoke carries me to far lands Lowly homes of long ago Scents hark back to Grandma’s kitchen Salty tang to distant shore Precious memories long forgotten Waked by scent to live once more

But there’s fragrance stored in heaven Precious nard from broken jar Patient priests, whose daily offering is Treasured there for evermore Precious oil from press of suffering Of saints and martyrs safely stored While from the pain of our obedience Sweet perfume still wafts abroad.

Pauline Lewis, Porthcawl

FIRE

Yellow flame orange flame – red hot embers – exquisite pain Auspicious fire, holy fire, spiritual fire, Tendrils of smoke reach higher and higher – funeral pyre Spark of life spark of death No more to breathe this sacred breath We roast this food reward of graft And slate with ale our infinite thirst Inhale of earth gives inner peace Communal laughter communal feast The smoke is sweet birch-wood and incense of lavender The trees spin around and the dancing gets faster The sun shines down the moon will soon And stars appear one by one Solar eye lunar eye Earthly Mother Father Sky Solstice day and Solstice night Bursting down this burning light Orchestra of birdsong beautiful melody Perfect harmony – righteous duty – insanity Eating wood eating branch – brown to white a holy dance Magical time, magical spell, This Heaven descends – the Love never ends The Angels are here: I do not feel fear.

Jonathan Bucke, Cefn Glas

2020

Before the pandemic we lived full and free We met all our friends for lunch and for tea We ate with bare hands, which caused us no fear We hugged and we kissed with those who were dear Shopping was easy and sometimes a pleasure Hobbies and sports once filled all our leisure Touching our families, the old and the small Sharing our joys and sorrows with all But now we are living in other strange lands No touching, no hugging and washing our hands Having to keep a safe social distance Trying to create a wall of resistance Working from home with no daily commute No jacket, no tie, just a shabby jumpsuit With all the kids home there’s no peace and quiet Can’t get the work done because of this riot! The months have passed by to the end of the year The virus lives on; we’re all full of fear I’m yearning to mingle, to travel and roam But just have to sit here alone in my home Better to stay home and go with the flow When your neighbour might kill you by saying ‘Hello’ But now there’s a vaccine, at last there’s a cure Our destiny’s safe, our future secure.

John Davies, Eglwys Nunydd, Margam

LIFE STORY

I’m writing my life story, Making rough notes from my past. I’ll leave it for my children, So my memories may last. I’ve looked at those old photos, Baby, toddler, little girl. Memories swirls around me, Leaving my mind in a whirl. After that will come my schooldays, Then my marriage, children sweet. I’d best get back to jotting, There’s a lifetime to complete.

Judy Dee, Porthcawl