Leisure by me

Like many people I've always like Leisure by William Henry Davies, it's rhythm so I thought I'd have a go at my own version. I sincerely doubt it's winner but it was fun to put my twist on it.

What is this life, if you who care

Make no time to say or share

No words to soothe or console

No time to lift heart and soul

No hugs or smiles to warm the heart

No touching gestures to impart

No time to utter words so felt

with work and play at full pelt

no time to speak of love or joy

as life moves on we must deploy

to leave behind all outward sign

of what’s contained in heart and mind

a poor life this is if you who care

make no time to say and share.

A little taste of Af-ric

So this one was another experiment into the unkown. I don't usually rhyme things nor do I use meter that much... I just don't have the patience to work it out however with this one I tried a little of both, trying to capture the nature of cats with a quick quick slow affair with the meter. Not sure whether it really works but I enjoyed the results of my efforts.

A little taste of Af-ric

Eyes on the land, his nose to the breeze

his whiskers are quivering for the scent of a beast
his gaze wanders till movement is seen
then he loupes with limbs loose, padding softly
towards what he hope’s is a feast.

His spots and his stripes meld with the brush

his movements unseen his beast still eating
stealthy and quiet he slithers into place
erupting on his prey too quick for it’s escape
he grabs at his prize and drags it away.

He gorges till full, then sleeps for a while

waking he stretches then prowls for more
scenting his patch he watches for strangers
no transgressor is accepted in his neck of the woods
as darkness invades he gives up the hunt

Returing to home, he thwacks at his flap

pushes through and howls for his food
head in his bowl, he devours his meal
all finished he purrs and mewls for a fuss
then swaggers and stretches on his journey to bed

Body so tired and safety complete

he looks around for the comfiest seat

My valentine

Yes well never having tried to write any love poetry I came a bit unstuck when I tried however I did write something that might in an alternate universe be considered something close to a valentine poem. At least that was my intention!

Largely it is just another short poem

My Valentines

No words come forth
I cannot speak
My pen hovers indecisive
No gifts to give beyond myself
I hope I am enough

Kates friends part 5

Sally looked up as she slid into her seat. “Anything important?”

“Nah, just the police.”

She turned her chair to face her. “The police? What’s happened?”

Kate looked at her worried face. “Oh nothing. I just got burgled.”

Sally moved her chair closer.

“It’s nothing really.”

“Oh God that’s awful, did they get much?”

She stared at her phone. “No and it seems that they may not have even kept what they did take.” She held up the phone for Sally to see then put it down next to her monitor. “They want me to come in and identify my stuff.”

Her eyes widened and she smiled. “Well that’s good isn’t it?”

“Yes I guess.” Kate smiled, in some ways Sally was just a bit naive. It could be good but it still didn’t change a thing and really if the burglar wasn’t interested in her belongings then why did he take them.

 If it had been her, Sally would have been pleased to get her things back and wouldn’t even think about why the guy took them and didn’t try to sell them. Or maybe she wouldn’t? Who knows, looking at her now: sparkling hazel eyes, wide open smile, nicely made up face and stylish and elegantly dressed, she seemed to her, unencumbered by the worlds’ more unsavoury nature. It was surprising given that she met with it nearly every day. The number of people who came through the office who’d seen far better days was unbelievable and yet there she was carrying on like it was so few and that she could change it. Maybe that was why she worked for charities because she was like that. If their stories got her down, if she felt that she couldn’t help them then maybe she wouldn’t be able to do her job. It would be nice to be like that. Oh well someday maybe. “Yeah it’s good, it means they’re closer to finding out who did it, well possibly.”

“So do you want to nick off now and go and do that? Get it over with.”

She smiled. “No later will be fine. I’ll finish this first.” She pointed at her monitor.

Sally shrugged. “Well don’t feel you have to. One more day won’t hurt.” She pushed her chair back and turned to her own monitor.

“No I know but I’d like to get it done and it’s not like it’ll make a difference if I go later.”

“No maybe not.”

Kate was dragging her feet and she knew it. It was past her usual finishing time and yet she still didn’t want to leave. Her desk was clear all the filing had been done and she’d emptied all the incoming updates from her inbox, everything was tidies away, she really had no excuse now not to leave.

“So don’t you want to go home today?”

She looked over at Sally putting her coat on.

“Ooh dear I guess not. Is it still a mess?”

She sighed. “No. I cleaned up last night. Hence the tiredness.”

She mouthed oh.

“I just...” She slumped down in her seat. “It’s just going to the police. Looking at the stuff they’ve found. It reminds me that someone went through all my things, that my place isn’t safe. One good bash at the door and anyone could get in. It’s stupid the landlord is fixing the door and it’s not like they’re going to come back now they’ve trashed the place is it.” She stood up and started to put her coat on. She shrugged. “It’s just...”

“So hasn’t the landlord done anything about the door?”

“No, no it’s just it’s not that good a job; a bit of board tacked over the hole, the landlord said he’d get a proper steel door with dead bolts and the like fitted, he’s just got to arrange when.”

“Oh I see and it’s not stupid. Look have you got anywhere to stay while they fix the door. Maybe getting away from it until the doors’ fixed properly would help?”

She shook her head.

Sally picked up her bag. “Oh well I’m sure the landlord will be quick. He won’t want the flat open any more than you do.” She squeezed Kates’ arm. “It’ll all be fine. You’ll see.”

“Yeah maybe.”

“No it will, now come on, you need to get to the police station and identify your things. Start the ball rolling and then they can catch them.”

“Sure.”

“Right if you’ll come this way.” Detective Walsh held the door open for her. A battle scared door with criss crossed safety glass and magnetic door key entry and a slightly odd swing like it was warped from use, it looked like the last defence against freedom. Once through you never returned. “If you’ll follow me.”

They walked away from the front desk and past small rooms with people at desks and computers, which surprised her, she’d thought they would have had an interview room close to the front.

He opened a door and indicated for her to go in and then pointed to a chair next to a very tidy desk with a computer. “Right sorry for the walk but I hate interview rooms.” He smiled. “Too imposing.” He took a file from the stack on the left and opened it out and took out some photos and laid a few of them out for her to see. “So these are pictures of everything we found, if you could look through them and tell me if you see any of your belongings.” He handed her the rest of the stack.

So far so good, this wasn’t exactly what she’d been expecting but it was okay. She looked at the photos and straight away she saw a piece of her jewellery. She smiled, she’d been given it by Sharon a few years ago, a birthday present, the first for many years. She flicked through the pictures, some more of her jewellery, her mountain bike, the dvd player, pretty much everything that had been taken was here in bright Technicolor. Tears filled her eyes, everything was here. “Yes and that too.” She looked at the detective. He had a half smile, half frown on his face.

“Humph!”

“Is something wrong?”

He turned his attention to his notes and wrote for a while.

Kate reviewed the photos again just in case she had been mistaken, but no everything looked like hers. One or two things weren’t but the rest... “Did you say this was everything you’d found?”

He took the photos from her. “Yes, that’s everything.”

He stopped at each item she’d identified and made notes then held up another piece of paper and read it. “Looks like you’ve been very lucky.” He looked at her.

“Yes I guess.”

He smiled. “No, no guessing you’ve been very lucky. Your neighbours not so much.” He took stock of her face and then turned back to his notes.

She cringed. “Oh.” So that was it, this was all her stuff, not theirs’. “Well it’s not worth anything. It’s just cheap stuff he wouldn’t get anything for it...”

Walsh had looked up at her. His smile had gone and now he just looked curious. “He?”

She flushed. “oh, oh no I just assumed, I’ve no idea I was out.” Oh God stop please just stop.

He smiled. “Well most burglars are male so it’s not a bad assumption.”

Phew, she blew a long breath and looked down at her feet.

“You seem a little tense.”

Her head snapped up.

“Did they mean a lot to you?” He pointed to the photos.

She narrowed her eyes, was he implying something? “No.”

“ummm, I see.”

Well I’m glad someone does.

“You didn’t put much on your list. Is this really all that was taken?” He held up her list. “Please take a good look.” He handed it to her.

She looked but it was out of habit she already knew there was nothing to add. “No that’s it.”

He held out his hand for it. “Hummm.”

“What?”

He looked straight into her eyes and shrugged. “It just doesn’t look like much, most people...” he shrugged “and it doesn’t seem like that much was broken either.” He looked at her list again.

“Yeah well I don’t have much money.” She watched his eyes move side to side across the page and down the list, crinkles appeared and then disappeared at their edge, she watched his hand tense and bend the paper a little and then relax; watched as his mouth moved a little, like he was saying the words from the page. Saw him straighten his back a fraction and then relax back into the chair. What was he thinking?

“It just doesn’t seem much compared to your neighbours that’s all I guess.” He put the paper down. “Do you know them well?”

She frowned. “No,”

He nodded. “Arr well most people don’t.”

She sat still and watched him.

“Well if there’s nothing else I think I’m done. I’ll let you know when you can come and collect them.”

She stood, now feeling every inch of difference in their heights an increase his dominance over her. Smaller than a child she wanted to crawl out of this office and hide. “Right.”

She followed him mutely as he negotiated their way out.

“Right well I’ll give you call then.”

She nodded and watched him turn and walk off, letting the door shut behind him. “Right, home.” She muttered to herself.

Just a little ditty for fun

So as I was considering my next endevour I thought why not try something different so here's my attempt. The I AM poem. Not necessarily too serious or good but a little bit of fun before I get down to anything I might consider better.

I am an enthusiastic writer
I wonder what to write
I hear the words calling
I see them on the page
I want to get them down
I am an enthusiastic writer


I pretend that I have talent
I feel I should be great
I touch the keyboard
I worry about grammar
I cry for my inadequacy
I am an enthusiastic writer


I understand it takes practise
I say that I will try
I dream of when I will be good
I try and try and try
I hope that I improve
I am an enthusiastic writer        

Kates friends part 4

The door firmly closed behind her Kate looked down at the floor in front of her and then to the rest of the room. Well this was going to take forever to clean up. Best get started then ‘cause the sooner I start the sooner this can all be forgot and life can return to normal.

“Arrg” Kate hit the off button on the alarm. Whatever the time was, it was just too damn early. She opened her eyes to read the clock. Eight thirty...oh hell that was way late; she should have been up an hour ago. She groaned this was not good. She pulled on her running gear, splashed some water on her face and started towards the door. At the last minute she stopped and surveyed the room. Ummm everything seemed okay. She went over to the window and opened the curtains, moved her African violet towards the sunlight, and walking across the room straightened the magazine pile and ran her hand over the throw on the sofa pulling it straight, yeah, now everything was right.

It had taken her hours to clean the place up. The burglars seem to have emptied just about every draw and cupboard and anything that couldn’t withstand the throw to the floor had been broken. So many of her CD’s and DVD’s had just fallen out of their cases but were still intact, however the TV was history. For whatever reason they had seen fit to actually break the screen, but that and the door were really the only casualties. Her mountain bike was gone as were the few pieces of jewellery and the small amount of cash she had left on the table but really and truly all they had done was make a mess. She had been lucky most of her stuff was still there and not broken, even her medication hadn’t been taken. Well it wasn’t like she had anything of interest but still people did strange things and if they didn’t know any better they may have thought they were worth taking. She’d made a list of everything that was missing and was surprised at how little there was on it. She’d have to deliver that to the station later but for now she needed to run.

She closed the door behind her and gave the door push. Yes it was locked.

“Morning”

She jumped bashing her hands into the door. Jeeze, who was that? She turned around to see a woman at the door opposite. “Oh morning.” She started down the stairs.

“How’s the tidying going? Did they take much?”

Kate looked up again. The woman looked uneasy. “Not so much. What about you?”

They started down the stairs together and matching step for step she started talking. “Oh they trashed the place; just about everything was thrown everywhere. I just can’t believe that people would do that. It was like they just wanted to break stuff. I mean the TV is gone and the stereo and laptop but they broke our plates. Just threw them on the floor and our clothes... I mean sure break in and take things of value but why just break stuff? I still can’t believe that no one heard anything; they must have made so much noise. You know they just emptied our cupboards, just threw our things into the walls. The noise they must have made”

Kate stared at her, blimey she had gotten off lightly at least most of her things were still intact.

“Yeah Gary said the police hadn’t found anyone else at home. I guess it was because it was the middle of the afternoon but you’d think someone would have seen or heard something?”

Kate was not surprised, people rarely saw or heard anything in her experience especially when it came to other people. Oh sure they saw this bruise or that cut but didn’t or wouldn’t put two and two together. They’d hear this or that argument, things being thrown, but passed it off as a one off, even when it was happening every week, but they would never actually say anything and when asked would shrug and say it was none of their business. Yeah people generally just looked out for themselves, well the ones she knew anyway, that was just the way the world worked; bad things happened to good people and you just had to suck it up and get on with things. She looked up to see the woman watching her. She shrugged.

“The police are useless they’re never going to find out who did this.”

She shrugged. “No, probably not”

Keys in hand the woman stood still and looked across the road lined with parked cars.

“So see you around.” Kate didn’t wait for a reply and started jogging off down the road towards the park. One foot then the other the rhythm felt good but it was hard going and her late night wasn’t helping. She passed people walking, only a short run today she thought, and she entered the park, not time for anything else.

Kate sat staring at the computer screen her eyes unfocussed it was just a blur. She looked away from her corner of the office at her closest, they were either on the phone or typing or reading and here she was staring at her screen. Oh this was no good she was going to have to get some air. She turned to her neighbour who was staring intently at the papers spread across her desk. “Sally I’m sorry.” She pushed her chair away from the desk. “I need a break.”

Sally looked up and smiled. “Sure take as long as you need. Rough night?” She put head back down to what she’d been reading.

“Yeah something like that.” She stood up, her back really ached now, too much bending.

“Sorry to hear that. There’s no rush for that you know.” She looked up at Kate.

Yeah she knew, but it would be nice to get it done. It felt good when things were finished but there was no point doing a bad job of it, it needed to be accurate. She grabbed her coat from the peg by the door and headed outside onto the roof terrace. The breeze hit her face as she opened the door to the little garden. It felt good, enlivening just what she was in need of. She rubbed her eyes and stretched.

“Hey, got a light?”

“uuh no sorry.” She shrugged and sidestepped.

“Oh well, I need to quit.”

She smiled and nodded taking another step towards the far side.

“So what’s your excuse?”

“Huh?”

“Well for being out here...Smokers corner an’all.”

She looked around at the other people and they were all smoking. “Oh I just needed some fresh air...” She coughed. “Okay I needed some air; I was falling asleep in there.”

“Arr so late night then?”

She sighed. “Yeah, my place was burgled I was up late getting it straight.”

“Oh I’m sorry to hear that. Did they get much?”

She looked down and kicked the gravel at her feet. She really didn’t have that much and it was more that someone had been inside her flat and not only that but that had meant that the police had been there to. Yet more people. She shrugged. “Nah not so much. They messed it up pretty good but nothing was really gone.” She took a few more steps away from the man.

“That’s lucky.”

“Doesn’t feel lucky, I spent hours clearing up.”

“Oh sorry I didn’t mean...I just meant that you don’t have that much to replace. Someone breaking in that’s awful.”

“Yeah well it’s all done now and only a few things to replace, it just feels odd knowing that someone came in a looked at all my stuff.” She paused.

“Hey Kate...”

She turned towards the person calling her and saw Sally walking towards her waving a mobile. “Kate, your phones’ ringing.”

She started towards her.

“You do know that talking to yourself is the first sign of madness don’t you?”

She frowned and reached for the phone. No one ever rang her, well hardly ever. She didn’t recognise the number although it was local.

“I’ll see you back inside.”

She stared at the phone. “Yeah” She waved her away. Who was it?

“Hello, it’s constable Perry.”

“Right.” She blew hard. It wasn’t them but what was this about.

“Yeah well we’ve found some items that we think might be yours”

Oh, the guy from yesterday. Fairly tall, short sandy hair, charcoal eyes and fit like a martial arts fanatic. “Really?”

“Yes really, surprised us too, but it does look that way. If you’d like to pop by the station and have a look.”

“Oh okay, today?”

“Well the sooner you do the sooner you can have them back but when ever suits you just ask at the desk.”

Really, oh dear. “Right.”

There was a pause. “You don’t sound too keen. I’d have thought you’d want to get your stuff back.”

“Yeah well it doesn’t really feel like my stuff anymore. Some guys’ had his mits all over it and it’s not like it’s going to be in the same state as when it left my place is it?”

“No maybe not but if it is yours there’s more chance that we’ll find out who did it and the sooner you come and identify it the more chance we have.”

She knew he was right and yet it still felt like the intruder was with her. He was still poking his hands into her life and making her do things she didn’t want to. She was still suffering in a way that he wasn’t. She put the phone down and headed inside. Well she couldn’t do that until later she had work to do now.

Kates friends part 3

As she walked down past the shops her hands burning from the bag handles she could see that one of the police cars was still parked outside. She slowed her pace right down until she was barely sauntering; she’d really hoped that they would be gone. Her shoulders and arms were tense and she could feel a headache coming on. Well she would have to go in now. She got her keys out so that she could just slide in unnoticed, put the key in the lock and go in with the least amount of fuss and time.

As she got close to front door she could hear the hammering, oh well it was now or never. As she rounded the stairs she saw that her door was open. She stopped, Oh God what have they done. She paused and then turned and started down the stairs.

“Excuse me...Excuse me Miss?”

She stopped. She’d been seen, she would have to deal with it now. She turned around.

“Hi there, sorry to bother you but you don’t happen to know the woman who lives in 1B do you? It’s just we’re trying to find her, she was burgled this afternoon and we haven’t been able to reach her yet.”

Kate stared up at the man, a policeman, judging from the uniform and then at her doorway. Burgled, what the... Now what? She looked left and right at the walls.

“Sorry, but do you know her, 1B?” He stood aside and pointed at her flat. He wavered a little, smiled, nodded and slowly shook his head a little.

“Sorry, Yes....” then she stopped talking, how could she tell this man that it was in fact her flat. Oh God what the hell was he going to think? What was she going to tell him that she’d seen the door and gone I’ve gotta get out of here and turned around to leave.

He walked down the top few steps towards her.

“Right, well... yes.”

He looked her straight in the eye.

She looked away, shuffled her feet a bit and then started up the stairs. “That’s my flat. You’re looking for me.” She saw him mouth oh and then frown. Oh dear this was horrific. “Yeah sorry I...”

“Bit of a shock.”

“Yeah something like that.” She couldn’t look at him.

He turned and walked up the steps and then turned back and looked at her.

She could hear he’s stopped moving and looked up. Right, yes better get moving. “Sorry been out.” Duh like he didn’t know that. “Bit busy today.” She couldn’t look at him.

“No problem. Look it’s a bit of a mess in here.” He stopped and let her pass him.

Mess her home was gutted, there were things everywhere, on the floor, on the furniture, broken glass, broken TV, broken just about everything, it looked like someone had come in and done as much damage to as many of her things as they could. She bent down and picked up the nearest thing, a DVD case or what was left of one.

“I’m sorry.”

She turned around. “Yes, me too.” She hadn’t owned that much, she really didn’t have the money so anything that was broken would probably not be replaced either and just as she’d got a few nice things.

“Right, well my partner is just canvassing the neighbours to see if anyone heard anything, or noticed...”

Kate had tuned out; everywhere she looked her things were strewn, some broken, some not, her mail was being walked on, her plants were up ended their soil spread on the floor, her TV was broken, now was not a time for talking. She bent down and picked up her African violet and placed it back the right way up, then her spider plant but it made no difference the room was a mess. She looked around until something brought her attention back to the policeman still talking in the middle of the room. He didn’t seem to have noticed that she wasn’t listening and her eyes then travelled down to the floor and saw he was standing on something. What was it? She waved him back and bent down to it. It was a bank statement. What else was down here? She started picking up the other papers, gas bill, electric, another bank statement, more statements, a letter from the dentist, the doctor. This was her life, all of her life laid out for anyone to see, anyone to read. She started collecting things up; no one should be able to come in and just see it, no one. She picked up more and more until more was falling out of her hands than she was holding on to. A hand grasped her arm.

“Miss...”

She looked up.

“Miss please...” He held out a hand towards hers.

She pulled away.

“Miss, you’ll need the crime number for your insurance company...”

She shook her head. Not insured mate, another thing I haven’t quite got around too.

“Well anyway we’ll be in touch to let you know how it’s going in a few days.” He stopped and looked around the room. “Do you have a number we can call you on?”

She shook her head. “No, no phone.”

He frowned. “What no mobile?”

“Huh.”

He raised an eyebrow and mouthed ‘mobile phone.’

“Oh mobile...yes, yes somewhere, if they haven’t stolen it.”

“Stolen it? It was here?” He turned side to side looking at the room.

She shrugged and went into the bedroom, picked her way across the room and reached into the wardrobe, her coat wasn’t there. She turned and looked back across the room. Arrh there was her coat, now if only the phone was still there.

The constable waited in the doorway, note book in hand.

Kate fumbled around and was beginning to think that the phone had been taken when she saw it next to the bed. It wasn’t likely to have been of any interest to them it was about six years old and very basic even in its’ day but still you never knew they. She picked it up and started pressing buttons, it was still working.”Okay so my number is, 07798 341 682.” She looked over at the constable writing.

“Hey, you still there Mat?”

The constable looked behind him and nodded. “Yeah, still here.”

“Well not many in, as you’d expect, and none of them know anything about her either let alone have a number for her.”

“Not a problem.” He nodded towards her.

A second police officer appeared in the doorway. “Oh Hi, didn’t see you there.”

“Anyone see anything?”

The man shrugged.

That said it all didn’t it thought Kate, oh well, it wasn’t like she’d had much hope that they’d get the guys.

“Right well I think we’re about done and it looks like you’re door is about done too.”

She walked across to get a better look. A piece of board now covered where the glass panel had been so no one could reach in and open it; not pretty and it wouldn’t let any light into the hall, but functional. She guessed the landlord would get around to fixing it properly later, probably much later but at least it was secure. “Right. So you’ll get back to me if anything comes up.”

Mat may have smiled but it was that small that she couldn’t tell. “Yup, you never know.”

“Yeah sure, but really I think I do.”

The other policeman nodded and turned and started walking to the door leaving his partner behind him.

“Right well, as I said we may need to get your fingerprints and if you can get that list of your property to the station as soon as possible it would be a help but otherwise we’re all done.” He put his pad away and nodded before following his partner to the door.

Kate followed them out and lingered at the door. The work man was just tidying up his tools but she wanted to see him leave before she shut the door on him.