A bowl of cherries

A bowl of cherries

*

You did not need a trumpet

nor the beating of a drum

to announce to you the sunrise

you knew that it had come.

You will not need a wind cock

or a weather man

to tell you when the north wind blows

he will make you know the plan.

I bethought to feed the sparrows

that squabbled on my lawn

instead I fed a sparrowhawk

aquiline and feathers tawn.

I began work with a ditty,

five lines became a score.

A door it seems had opened up

the more I wrote, they came the more.

Ideas came and I pulled them

like children pull a ribbon bow

of colours silk and pretty

the contents of a box to know.

I blew upon a dandelion

my thoughts flew into the air

heaven’s wind will carry them

to land and lay who knows where?

Now my thoughts and poems

will not eweryone please

some have found them delightful

to others they are a tease.

Standing in the rush hour

on the tube at Finsbury park

at the end of platform two

watching passengers embark

when I copped a lively one

from somewhere up above

that set the juices flowing

in another groove

I had seen the signalman beckon

heard the station master laugh

but the thunder in the tunnel

was a warning to the staff.  

My transport is the rainbow

whose colours are my dreams

joined up they make the promise,

 of life’s cascading streams.

I went down to the market place

to see what I could buy,

as I looked a little girl

just happed to catch my eye,

as she trailed behind her mum

a shiny red apple, I saw,

before her very nose had come

whose apple in the world could it be?

 that it should plumb so level

by any law that she could see,

it belonged to her [and she had it.]

Who will clear my path of rocks?

to enable me,

who will put wheels to my chariot?

that I might speedy be.

Africa unite, swing wide the jewelled hinge.

Let loose the ties of Orion

you shall be the head and not the tail

leading out Arcturus and his sons each one.

Let your morning song

be a song of love

in the night a lullaby

I will keep it as my trove.

Let us take to the middle

of the silvery stream

with flow lapping against us, side by side,

willow applauding our happy scheme

My rhymes will keep you company

until your journey ends.

You and I are passengers,

we might as well be friends.

but if you pull a gritty one,

well, who am I to blame?

for cherries in a cherry bowl

will not always be the same.

I will fill your lap with roses

to fragrance your sojourn

pure white petalled, velvet reds

just be careful with my thorn.

Mango morning, peaches

come, let me share your coconut,

we will drink his milk together

behind the walnut hut.

Sunshine on our shoulders,

love’s kindness in your eyes.

Walnut planks ain’t got no splinters,

my love ain’t got no sighs.

Sing a song of palm trees

lay down by my side

I will always be your lady

love as long as wide.

Looking east, my slate goes west,

I throw it over my shoulder,

turn around, hop jump

I won’t make ten till I’m older.

Again I will wander in daisies and clover

I will make my music heard

in the acoustic sky

and lift my voice with the songbird.

Trees whisper at my coming

they call me by my name

all wave to me in welcome

this is why I came.

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