In the green house
there is something growing
and I have no way of knowing
the names of the things
that are growing
in the green house
I’ve never known the names of things;
things that grow,
things with wings,
and things ‘without’ wings –
which, I think, just about covers them all.
“Let’s play Sardines!” said Syd.
“Don’t be a Pilchard, Syd!” said Harry. “You know the trouble we had the last time we played it.”
Syd looked glum. “I know; but, can’t we put it to a vote, Harry?” he asked.
“Sure!” said Harry. “Okay, Everybody! Hands up who wants to play ‘Sardines’!“
Not a hand went up.
“See, Syd?” Said Harry. “Nobody wants to play Sardines.”
Syd looked even glummer.
They all carried on with their game of kiss-chase.
Sometime later, Syd caught up with Harry, and with a quizzical look, he said: “Harry? Fish don’t have hands!”
Harry smiled. “True, Syd; but, I ask you this, where do fish fingers come from?”
Harry swam off to the other end of the aquarium, bubbling with laughter.
Syd huddled in his corner, slowly mulling over one of life’s big questions.
I was walking along
looking at the sky
as I do
when I saw a cloud,
a cloud in the shape
… of a cloud.
Not in the shape of a bird
or a penguin
(which is also a bird)
although there were a few of them flying around
(birds, not penguins)
but cloud-shaped;
then there was another
and another
all similar
but different
in their own cloudy way.
And I thought upon the clouds
then wrote this.
Seventeen words
In three syllables
how hard is that?
Ah! Not that easy
Perhaps I need to practice
or I’ll get it wrong.
Seventeen Syllables?
I made a Rookie error
In my adding up.
Okay, you may laugh!
Not trying to be funny,
just writing Haiku.
What? About ‘Nature’?
The Haiku speaks of ‘Nature’?
Birds, trees, lakes and stuff?
So all mine are wrong?
They are more like ‘Sen-r-yu?
Like ‘bad’ Sen-r-yu?
Well here goes nothing:
The Sun rises in the East
and we give our praise.
Better? Well, thank you.
If only I could practice?
I’ll think about it.
It has come to our attention
that a problem needs a mention
and maybe here and now
is the time we should say how
we think that you could fix it
even if it isn’t broken;
still, it could be mended
to be as good lord God intended
if he exists as spoken
in the words of the ‘Good’ book;
here, take a look…
Pages four hundred seven through eleven
where it tells about the stuff
that if says is most important,
memorise this you’ll get to Heaven
or somewhere else
that’s cold an damp
has one dull lamp
and a mattress.
This land
is our land
our Cornwall
our home.
This land
is our land
so leave it
alone.
As I was going to St. Ives
I met a cat
with seven lives…
left.
As I was going to St. Ives
(Pronounced ‘Eves’)
I met a man
who tried to sell me fallen leaves.
I told him that I
Would just not buy
his sob story
and so he left me high
and dry-eyed.
As I was
going
to St. Just,
I had to go there
had to
must
have been about half way there, when
I remembered
I’d been there before;
so, I just didn’t go there once again.
As I was going to St. Mawes
I swotted up on local laws
And found that I
should wear a tie
if ever I should sing a lullaby…
upon a tandem;
that law to me seemed quite random.
As I was going to St. Austell
or as locals say ‘Off to Stozzke!’
for a nozzle for my can
because I am a watering man,
It rained upon my open plan.
As I was going to St. Aggie’s
I met an abrupt lack of a rhyme…
that sort of thing
happens to me
from time to time.
I didn’t bother with St. Erth
and their dubious tale
of a Virgin Berth;
I didn’t even have a boat –
so needed nowhere for it to float.
Saintly places still I have to visit
St. Pinnock
St. Neots, is it?
St. Teath
St. Wenn
and all the rest
I’ll go to them all one day
and maybe I will wear a vest.
Save the Marmoset
Save the Bear
Save the Dolphin
Does no one care?
Save the Rain Forest
Save the ice
Save the Dodo?
That would have been nice!
Save the planet before it’s too late
It’s people, you know,
That got it into this state.
It’s gone from a paradise
To a place full of hate…
So, save this planet
Before…
I was staring at the Sun
dreckly
it never blinked
it thinked
or, should I say
it thought
I know I ought
but don’t
won’t
can’t make me
what I’m not.
Anyway, the Sun
is hot
when it comes to heat
it has a lot.
And it never blinks
is what I thinks.
A one-legged stool
a one-legged stool
I fell right off of a one-legged stool;
It’s easy your balance to keep
until you fall asleep
and then you’ll feel a fool
as you fall off
of a one-legged stool.
Graeme Sandford 