Municipal Magic

MUNICIPAL MAGIC

All praise to the Municipal Gardener

Who pretties-up the town,

Who makes a splash of colour

In earth so rich and brown.

Who takes a plot on the corner

Outside The Junction Fair,

And digs and hoes

And then plants rows

Of flowers for me to share.

*

All praise to the Municipal gardener,

Whose back must sometimes ache;

Who gets blisters on his fingers

From spade and trowel and rake.

This verse is just to thank him;

I appreciate his role!

The vibrant hues,

The reds and blues

Splash colour on my soul.

*

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MURDER BY MULTIPLICATION!

Elsie and her husband were golfing on the course.

They couldn't stand each other; they were heading for divorce!

Elsie wasn't bad at golf; at times she was the goods.

But, this day, she hit her golf-ball into the darkest woods.

While fumbling in the grass she found a frog caught in a trap,

It seemed so sad to see the creature suffering this mishap!

'Poor little frog!' cried Elsie, 'Come! I will set you free!

With the spring released the little frog soon hopped about with glee.

'I am no ordinary frog!' he said ' I look quite tragic

But now I'm free I'll prove to you that I am really magic!

Three wishes I will grant to you, health, wealth, long life and such,

But, you see, your husband's going to get exactly ten times as much.'

Elsie considered for a while then said 'I understand.

I have a generous spirit. Proceed as you have planned!'

'Then wish!' the frog exhorted her ' For soon I must be gone!'

'I wish for glorious beauty!' cried Elsie, 'Bring it on!'

Immediately she was lovely as any flower in spring!

Well' said the frog 'You husband's pleased! In the handsome stakes he's King!'

'Now I wish for great wealth' cried Elsie, ' I want money bags galore!'

'Remember!' once more said the frog,'Your husband gets ten times more!'

Soon Elsie was surrounded by enormous bags of gold!

'What a lucky husband!' said frog 'He's wealth untold!'

'Now, finally' said Elsie,' Since you have this clever knack,

For my final wish, please give me a very small heart-attack!'*

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P.S. Please visit

http://rinklyrimes.blogspot.com/2011/02/fanfare.html

for something extra!

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PS

Yesterday we drove to Murray's Beach, an area which was new to me, for lunch. The weather was sunny but delightfully cool, only 25 degrees C. so we had a pleasant time strolling around the footpaths of this relatively new lakeside area, admiring the distant water views.

I snapped Mike and Malcolm from above.

And Mike awaiting a tasty lunch in the Murray's Beach cafe.

*

On Guard

ON GUARD

As regular readers of my blog must already understand,

I am against religion; I think it should be banned.

Individuals find solace, but I feel society

Would be better-off without it, in perpetuity.

So the idea of Guardian Angels is something I find strange.

For one thing the organisation must be tricky to arrange!

Is there one Angel per person? Or do we have to share?

Do the Angels have a choice regarding the person in their care?

If a very saintly Angel were allocated a crim,

Would she still guard him carefully and do her best for him?

Are Angels normal people who, after they have died,

Move up the ladder of success and are finally Angelfied?

Or did they start out as Fairies and graduate over time

Beginning as merely magical and ending-up sublime?

*

I know I'll lose some Followers with this caustic little rhyme!

*

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OMAR KHYYAM

A thousand-year-old poem.

References I couldn't really comprehend.

A translation

That may or may not

Have reflected

The views of the poet, entirely.

And yet it spoke to me.

*

Steeped, as I was, in biblical references,

Through my family's intense involvement,

In Christianity,

It was like a gale

Sweeping through my life.

As it has swept through the lives

Of so many others.

*

It was

The Rubaiyat

of Omar Khayyam.

*

Speak of poets...

Quote him.

Speak of philosophy....

Refer to his teachings.

Consider astronomy....

He mapped the stars.

Talk of algebra.....

He dissected the topic!

*

What a man!

*

And his message?

To live life to the full,

Without any inducements;

To embrace the present

And accept oblivion.

*

Now I learn that he is barely known in Iran,

Which once was his Persia!

*

What would he make of that?

*

My copy of the Rubaiyat

Is thumbed and faded now.

*

In a good cause.

*

The Fishing Bridge

THE FISHING BRIDGE

One feels that life's a gentle thing

When the Powers That Be take the trouble

To build an extra little bridge,

Making the crossing double.

The higher bridge is for traffic,

The lower one for fishing!

Would that all of life were as civilised!

Oh well! Only wishing.

*

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SHE LOST HER HEAD!

She lost her head over Billy Best!

I always said he was a pest!

But no! She couldn't see his faults!

She kept on turning somersaults!

Showing-off and being silly

Every time that she saw Billy.

Just because he had a tan

She felt he was her chosen man!

Just because his muscles bulged

She felt that he should be indulged!

Just because his hair was curly

She phoned him late, she phoned him early.

Just because his teeth were flashing

She thought him debonaire and dashing!

Just because he was so tall

She felt that they should have a ball!

Just because his voice was mellow

She thought he was her sort of fellow!

View this picture and realise

Going overboard isn't wise.

Give affection with discretion

And never give the wrong impression.

Never lose your head, my love,

Or you'll end up like her above!

*

Headlines

THREE WORD WEDNESDAY

http://www.threewordwednesday.com/2011/02/3ww-ccxxix.html

Today's words: stress, juicy and figure

HEADLINES

Why, oh, why does the gutter press

Add to all the strain and stress

By emphasising all that's cheap

And every nasty crim and creep?

Don't they know that copy-cats

(Sometimes well-known diplomats!)

Read the headlines and decide

That they will read them as a guide

To evermore increasing 'grot'!

Papers not only print the lot

But emphasise the juicy bits,

And fill our heads with bums and tits!

(Well, not me; I'm past all that!

But you know what I'm getting at!)

So long as profits are getting bigger,

And the total's a nice round figure,

Morality is quite forgotten

And all the news gets simply rotten.

They act disgusted. That's pretence.

I cannot write in their defence.

Why, oh, why does the gutter press

Fill our minds with ugliness?

*

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SCARING THEMSELVES!

Children in the dark

Like to scare each other,

So long as they're not too far

From the comfort of their mother!

*

"They mostly come at night

And it'll be dark soon,

And tonight there are no stars

And no light from the moon.

Their eyes will shine like lamps

While their talons claw the air

And a million writhing snakes

Will frame their faces just like hair!

Their jaws will be dripping blood,

Their tongues will be oozing slime!

Their hideous hairy faces

Will be covered with venomous grime!

Their voices will shriek with vengeance

And they'll chase us down the track............."

*

Mum's made soup for supper!

I think we'd better get back!

*

Decision

WATERY  WEDNESDAY

http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

DECISION!

(A cinquain)

Decision.

Immobile, transfixed.

Precariously perched presence.

Should I cry out?

Dilemma!

*Unfortunately this is a 'popular suicide spot'. Not this time.

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TRICKY VICKS!

Friend Barbara knows a myriad tricks;
The latest one's concerned with Vicks....
The VapoRub that stops congestion
(But doesn't do much for indigestion!)
As my picture above suggests,
Mothers have rubbed it on the chests
Of wheezing children for years and years,
Lulling to sleep the little dears.
The vaporous fumes have cleared the nose
And brought about a night's repose.
Little Delias and Dominics
Have gone to sleep to the smell of Vicks.
Now Barbara's made a discovery
And she has passed it on to me.
When you're gripped by a cough that's hacking,
And dreamless sleep is entirely lacking
Smother Vicks on the soles of your FEET
And find out that it works a treat!
Wear your bedsocks! Yes, you must!
Sorry, we can't mix Vicks and Lust!
Wait a few moments and you'll find
You're seduced by warmth of a different kind.
Creeping up along your frame
A langorous heat that knows no shame!
Soon you'll find you're nodding off
Without a cough! Without a cough!
Barbara tells me it feels sublime
What's more it works each and every time!
One hundred percent is what she quoted.
( Scientific data that should be noted.)
Undisturbed you'll sleep all night,
Waking to feel relaxed and bright.
I'm waiting to host a passing germ,
One that may make me feel infirm
So that I can test this credo.
Though it wont do much for my libido!
*

Fulfillment

ABC WEDNESDAY
http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/
Letter 'F'

FULFILLMENT 

The turbulence was frightful, the plane was in a spin!

The roaring wind was lashing with a truly ghastly din.

The passengers were seated, they were belted, they were grim

For they felt their chances of relief were very very slim.

One woman in the front aisle suddenly stood upright,

An expression on her face of the most soul-destroying fright.

'I'm going to die! I'm going to die!' she yelled for all to hear.

'I tell you, everybody, that, for us, the end is near!

But before I die won't some man make me feel that life's worthwhile.

Come and make me feel like a woman! Right here, on the aisle!'

For a second nothing happened then a handsome man arose!

He strolled towards her down the aisle unbuttoning his clothes!

He was wonderfully handsome, very tanned, with thick black hair

And his muscles rippled as he walked! All she could do was stare!

'Yes! Yes!' she gasped as he neared her, forgetting all her fears,

The sound of the storm around her was no longer in her ears.

He strolled down, quite unhurried, aware of his manly grace,

Conscious of the great desire painted on her face.

He moved till he almost touched her and whispered in her ear.....

'I'll make you feel like a woman!

 Iron my shirts! Get me a beer!'

*
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WINDBLOWN!

With what meticulous care

She had coiffed her lovely hair!

And brushed her lashes, till they framed her eyes!

She'd worked for hours on lips

And delicate finger-tips,

And her dress had been right colour and right size.

She had brooded over shoes;

Which ones should she choose?

Flat shoes, maybe, to make her look petite?.

She had chosen her perfume

So it's fragrance rocked the room;

It managed to be passionate but sweet.

The matter of  bouquets

Had taken several days

For Mother had opinions of her own,

And the little bridesmaids dresses,

(So they both looked like Princesses,)

Had been made to set exactly the right tone.

They all said, when she arrived,

That she'd certainly contrived

To make herself a picture of perfection,

And her bridegroom felt so proud

When they turned round to the crowd,

And she smiled a painted smile in their direction.

But then, a fickle breeze

Came cavorting through the trees

And tossed her veil and hair in disarray.

And everybody said

As the wind whirled round her head

That she'd never looked so lovely the whole day.

*

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P.S. Please visit

http://rinklyrimes.blogspot.com/2011/02/fanfare.html

for something extra!

------------------------------------------------------

PS

Mike was lucky enough to have great weather during the first part of his trip, but he's returned from Adelaide to Newcastle to find it rather grey and blustery. Anyway, we decided to spend the morning at Honeysuckle, along by the river. We first of all had a fish lunch down near the Fisherman's Co-op, at Mangrove Jack's, where we were able to admire all the boats, and enjoy a meal of freshly-caught leatherjacket, and then we walked to the ferry-boat harbour where we had icecreams to round-off the excursion.

Few people were lunching by the water today.

Braving the breeze.

The ferry was just coming in under leaden skies.

The little boys came round to see Mike after school.

I managed to take this gorgeous shot of them together.

*

In the evening we had a delightful time at friend Joy's where the Book Group met to discuss the latest book, to eat tasty refreshments and to put the world to rights. Unfortunately I took my camera but forgot to use it.

*

But.......'There is no joy unmixed with woe'

Everyone at the Book Club meeting was devastated by the news from NZ. We really do feel like cousins here and almost every one of us has visited the 'pretty' city of Christchurch. Now to see such devastation is heart-rending. It wasn't a big quake, but it hit the city-centre at mid-day so it's results are awful.

*

A Sad Case

BIFOCAL UNIVISION

http://bifocalunivision.blogspot.com/
supplied the prompt

A SAD CASE

Dear kind and friendly Bloggers, please listen to my plight!

I suffer from terrible catarrh, morning noon and night!

You must have heard me snuffling and snoring all the time.

The squashing of my poor old nose is tantamount to crime.

Can you believe my ancestors were wolves, both wild and free?

That's almost unbelievable when you take a look at me!

I know my name is Churchill, to remind folk of the fact

That Winston was a 'bulldog' until Hitler's power was cracked.

But I don't look heroic, with short legs and splayed-out toes;

And then, of course, there's the little matter of my poor old squashy nose.

'The squashier the better!' the breeders always cry;

'The nose becomes more squashy; the value grows more high.'

But breathing is an effort, even more now I am old;

It's rather like a human having an ever-present cold!

Dogs are such faithful creatures! But look at this malformed face.

He isn't 'best in breed' at all; he's just a very sad case.

*

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NEGLECTED ELDERS

(An acrostic and an even sadder case)

No-one wants me; no-one cares!

Every night as I climb the stairs,

Ghosts from days gone by assail me,

Laughing at me as they fail me.

Everyone I loved has gone.

Children, too, have all moved on.

Thoughts of joys that used to be;

Etched upon my memory.

Daughters leave us as they grow

*

Even sons get up and go!

Love was such a part of life;

Desire, for husband as a wife.

Eagerly I braved each day;

Romance, would always find a way.

Still I remain, alone, bereft.

Why go on when nothing's left?

*