Tuesday 30 April 2013

A - Z APRIL 2013 - Z


ZINNIA
(Zumba instructor from nearby town)


Twice a week she drove for a quarter of an hour
Through the back lanes parallel to the River Stour
From the large market town with its railway station
Fast express trains that could take her, on a whim, to London
Traversing the narrow country lanes with hedges so high
She goes through the routine lunging from feet to thigh
Motivating everyone to move in time to Latin music
Arms and legs into some sort of style, frantic, rhythmic
As she parked the car, she saw Winston pack up his gear
She’d love to follow his ‘chi’ to the pub or elsewhere
Never mind, she’d heard he was married with a kid
So she won't go there, she knows he’s off the grid
Her biological clock was ticking fast and furious
She knew time was flying by in her thirties
She was fit, active and quite a pretty young woman
She would not end up a lonely spinster and barren.


Monday 29 April 2013

A - Z APRIL 2013 - Y


YVONNE
(Neighbour on the other side of Bill and Ellen)

Yvonne was glad she decided to come out tonight
She needed a bit of laughter after such a fight
It wasn’t worth it some days she thought
She should know by now there was no comfort
Making friends isn't easy and she tries so hard
Sometimes it’s like wading through a lump of lard
What does it take to be accepted?
When you’re considered to be slightly eccentric
She wasn't different or strange
She was unique and too old to change
Her life was what it was and not that bad
She saw others all happy and felt sad
Then she picked herself up and dusted herself down
Next week she’d arranged a trip on the train to town
Perhaps Harrods or the Ritz for tea
Oh, dream on girl, dream on you silly-Billy.



    

Saturday 27 April 2013

A - Z APRIL 2013 - X


XAVIER
(Cousin of Amber on father’s side)

I don't see why I have to stay with my cousins
They’d better not treat me like one of their pet orphans
My dad left my mum and she can’t cope
All week she just sat and cried and moped
I’m supposed to play with Harry all nice and friendly
Then that Amber, so stuck up, wants to be all chummy
 But she won't let me on her laptop to play my games, it’s not fair
Harry is hogging the X-box although he’s been told to share
I’ll tell Aunty Carol and she’ll try to hug me
I can't let them see I’m upset so I try to be chatty
I just want to go home and be with my mum
I promise I won’t be a problem.

Friday 26 April 2013

A - Z APRIL 2013 - W




WINSTON
(Tai Chi Instructor, new to the village)
He thought he was lucky to rent Rickyard Cottage
He wanted a fresh start, to leave behind any baggage
Winston wondered how long it would take
He hoped against hope he hadn't made a mistake
He wanted to be accepted as part of the community
He did his best with his instructor training in Tai Chi
He unlocked the door to the village hall
That old smell of must and many years of footfalls
Assailed his nostrils, evoking past memories
Of trying to push against social boundaries
Luckily this new group he was teaching were receptive
To a new way steeped in the old ways to become more active
Gentle, low impact exercises, improving flexibility
Alleviating stress, developing lung capacity
Hearing the laughter of his first students arriving
He started his MP3 with River of Qi playing.

Thursday 25 April 2013

A - Z APRIL 2013 - V




VINCE
(Graham’s friend)

Hey, mate, fancy coming out for a pint
I’ll meet you in the pub about eight.
Vince knew he wouldn’t get a text reply
Graham wouldn’t resist a pint and a pie
He might bring Carol with him if she wasn't busy
He wished he could find a woman just as classy
They compared notes on their respective jobs and work
They moaned and groaned some and said what irked
Then they thanked their blessings for being employed these days
The double dip recession made it hard for people in lots of ways
The conversation moved around to food and lunch on Sunday
Vince was pleased to be invited to spend the day
A home cooked roast lunch with all the trimmings
A bottle of red wine in his hand would be quite fitting.

Wednesday 24 April 2013

A - Z APRIL 2013 - U



URSULA
(Wife of Nelson)

Ursula placed her hat on her head at a slightly rakish angle
Today she felt little bit frisky and not so formal
She might be a farmer’s wife and pillar of the community
Some secrets were well hidden in a bottle of brandy
She shrugged off those feelings and got in her little car
Driving through single lane tracks it wasn’t far
Starting her shift in the village shop catering for all and sundry
She knew all the gossip from the old ladies to the croupy babies
She loved the farm but also liked spending time away
From the daily grind and hassle of milking twice daily
Enjoying outside conversation, peeking in to other people’s lives
She knows how lucky she is and she will survive
Her husband might be a man of few words but his touch,
Gentle as it is, has come to mean so very much.


Tuesday 23 April 2013

A - Z APRIL 2013 - T



TOBY
(Suzy’s boyfriend)

He saved his work and looked at his mobile phone
Smiled to himself as he heard Suzy’s ring tone
He was only half way through this essay
It wasn’t easy to find the words he needed to convey
The messages that whirled around in his brain
Sometimes the thoughts came so fast like an express train
This was only his first year at college he had to get it right
He’d worked so long and so hard he had to keep up the fight
Darren was going to ask his manager for an application form
It would be great to earn some money and help pay his way
His parents didn’t begrudge him but it was tough some days
They were so proud of him getting to college
They would scrimp and scrape and somehow manage
Sometimes it was rather a responsibility being the only son
The pressure was on but he really was a lucky person.

Monday 22 April 2013

A - Z APRIL 2013 - S


SUZY
(Daugter of publicans, Queenie and Roger, friends with Amber and Pauline)

Suzy waved her hand towards the bar at her dad
He wiggled his fingers back at her pointing to his iPad
She giggled to herself at her dad’s comical stance
She knew he was trying to master the Gangnam style dance
She’d have to tell Amber and Pauline in a few minutes
She would drop by the village shop and buy some chocolates
She had money in her purse from helping in the pub kitchen
Next weekend she’d be working hard for the Easter preparations
No time for socialising, her boyfriend would understand though
He was quiet and thoughtful and her unsung hero
They were as different as chalk and cheese
Somehow they fitted together with ease
She’d text him in a minute or two
Just to say ‘luv you.’
The three girls were known as the lovely threesome
Everybody could see what lovely women they would become.





Saturday 20 April 2013










ROGER
(Landlord of the pub, husband of Queenie, father of Suzy)

Five more minutes Roger thought he’d spend on the Quiz Night
He wanted the questions to be family friendly and right
Then he’d go to the cellar and change the beer barrels
His eye was taken by the sight of two grey squirrels
Bounding up the tree to their drey
He could watch them all day
He looked at the calendar and started to muse
There were a few weekend activities still to chase and pursue
Pies and pints didn't have the profit margin
Perhaps he could organise a Silent Auction
A music night, a summer barbecue to bring in outside punters
They could offer a breakfast menu for the summer campers
He ran down the stairs to the bar, he’d pull pints and take orders
Chatting with customers, listening to old Nelson’s tales of farmers
This is what he was always born to do
He caught Queenie’s eye and mouthed ‘I love you.’



Friday 19 April 2013

A - Z APRIL 2013 - Q




QUEENIE
(Landlady of the village pub, wife of Roger, mother of Suzy)

Another splash of red lipstick, a touch of rouge across her cheeks
She patted down her hair pleased with this week’s
Trip to the hairdresser, her age she desperately tries to keep at bay
Pilates, Yoga, now going for Zumba and Tai Chi during the day
Her daughter came later in her life so look alike sisters they can’t be
She needs to accept her chronological age and not be so blowsy
Running a pub isn’t easy to say the least
They were freehold and not subject to a brewery lease
It brings its own headaches day-to-day balancing the books
With the hot headed temperament of the pub’s cooks
Their name was made on locally sourced food
Home cooked to perfection and highly valued.
The hours are long but she’s always ready with a smile
She sees a text from her daughter and opens her mobile.


Thursday 18 April 2013

A - Z APRIL 2013 - P



PAULINE
(Amber’s best friend since Primary School)

Pauline closed down her laptop and plugged in her iPod
She listened to country artists and was thought to be odd
As well as reading the classics and talking like a dictionary
Mathematically challenged neither could she be called arty
From an early age Amber had taken her under her wing
Shown her how to study, enjoy life and find time for laughing
She loved being round Amber’s house
Where she didn’t have to be  as quiet as a mouse
Because her parents worked from home every day
There was no leeway for any type of horseplay.
She moved from her desk and bounded on to her bed
Her turn would come Amber had said
She didn't want to go out with a blockhead
She started to daydream about a boyfriend to cuddle
She checked the book titles on her index on the Kindle.
She would lose herself in one the great romantic fictions
Not Dickens, she was in the mood for an Austen.




Wednesday 17 April 2013

A - Z APRIL 2013 - O



OLIVE
(Neighbour of Bill and Ellen)

She tweaked the net curtains back to the middle
Nodded sagely to herself as she thought, there’s trouble
Those brothers had such a hard time
It’s a wonder they didn't do any crime
She wonders what Bill gets up to on his computer
It’s such a shame he’s married and not a bachelor
She would have been quite a catch for such a chap
Ellen got there first and he was a feather in her cap
Il Divo were singing on their latest album
That was money well spent on her Bose Hi-Fi system
Rudely interrupting their dulcet tones came the beeping
Of the kitchen timer along with the smell of her cooking.
She’d take the cake round to Bill’s and hope for a cup of coffee
She’d chat away to him and talk bravely about her family.


Tuesday 16 April 2013

A - Z APRIL 2013 - N



NELSON
(Local dairy farmer, specialising in Guernsey cows, husband of Ursula)

Nelson heaved himself off the tractor and scratched his head
His flat cap tilted slightly at an angle as he walked to the cowshed
His healthy herd of Guernsey cows kept his niche market supplied
They paid slightly extra for premium milk from the countryside
They thought it was nostalgic hearing his rural burr and accent
Some months it was hard to scrape enough to pay the rent
To diversify he also sold free range eggs from the chickens
Who were allowed to roam free but wouldn't earn him millions
He was lucky to know the old country ways
He could look at the sky and tell the weather for the coming days
Older traditions were fast declining
Some old timers would still turn their hand to poaching
He finished his tea from his thermos flask
Climbed back on to his tractor and continued his task.