Moonlight
Last night I stood at my window
The curtains opened wide,
To see the moon on its nightly rise
Across the ever changing skies
And you came to my side.
Was the moonlight playing tricks
With my imagination?
No words were spoken, nothing said.
A full moon riding overhead
And a strangely calm sensation.
For you were young again, and free
From the suffering you had known.
Your very presence seemed to say
That you are never far away
And I am not alone.
But as I stood the night grew dark
The clouds merged into one.
And with a sigh I turned away
No longer need for me to stay
For the moon and you - were gone.
E Burgess, Durham.
February to March
Beneath the great grey mantle of the sky
That seemed o'er all to hang so low,
The fields save for the trees and hedges dark
Were but vast tracts of virgin snow.
Though yet in leafless boughs of elms and ash
The noisy rooks their nests did build,
As though the storms they could not last
And February to March would yield.
Within a week, blue skies the sun came through
And all the birds began to sing
Life once more busy all things new
Once more the miracle of spring.
ED Bowen, Darlington.
Season's Greetings
Daisies chained to rusty railings
Days just starting to stay up late
Crocuses cussing in freezing breezes
Nature straining to unhibernate.
Spuggies busking through dirty litter
Sap gnawing the veins of dusty old men
Dead rainbows lying in the gutter
A Darlo spring has sprung again.
Carol Proud, Brafferton, Darlington.
Repairs
They took away my fire
No inglenook now.
They took away my window
And a beautiful view.
But I got a back door
After 50 years,
And a beautiful shower
To allay my fears
Of having a bath.
But best of all
They're spraying the outside walls
A marvellous hue
Of sparkling white.
In my dreams I can see
Her Majesty admiring
The beautiful houses at Peterlee.
Mary Ellery, Peterlee.
CONVENT PRAYERS
The bells of Marrick are silenced
Cistercian voices of Ellerton stilled
The convent of Melsonby empties,
Burrill, Masham all gone.
Benedictine nuns now sing, on compact disc
Today as they did, at Burrill, Melsonby and Marrick.
What does a thousand years teach?
But love, love for God, everlasting for each.
Sisters of the Assumption, from Richmond departed,
And today, Richmondshire, a thousand square miles
Without a convent and a call to God.
We recognise something, extra in ourselves,
Pray for peace, the poor and a convent in the Dales.
Tony Pelton, Catterick.
A Tall Story
Ned and Tommy were two old Navy lads
But on one thing they could not agree.
Which one had served on the taller ship
When they were both at sea.
Tommy said that when up aloft,
And swore it was not just by chance,
From the portside he could see the white cliffs of Dover,
From starboard, the coast of France.
Ned had a puff of his old clay pipe
But not to be outdone,
He'd settle this argument once and for all
And also have a bit of fun.
He told how his captain said: "Come Ned my lad
Up to the crow's nest you go.
Take for company this flagon of rum,
And keep a look out for the foe."
By the time he reached his lofty post
Half the day had past,
And so had half his flagon of rum,
As he clung to the top of the mast.
He had a bit of a doze, in fact half the night
Next morning the fog was so thick.
His head was sort of foggy as well
That navy rum had some kick.
He'd been so high up in the clouds
He had a feeling of being alone,
And this was the tale he put across,
When he came down, his ship had gone.
Bill Gething, Kelloe.
Animal Poem
A flock of birds flying
In the air
A polar bear in
Its lair.
A racoon swinging
In a tree
A baby monkey sitting
On his mam's knee.
A killer whale in the sea
He was just about to have his tea
A cowboy riding on a mule
A magpie flying with a jewel.
A panda with some bamboo shoots
He accidentally ate the roots
A caterpillar with a cold
He felt like a lump of mould.
A spotty fish in a river
A piranha who makes you quiver
A cheetah crouching in the grass
The antelopes must run fast.
The world is full of lots of creatures
All have lots of different features.
David Aspinall, aged 8, Castle Eden.
No Time To Die
There's so much work to be done these days
So much love around,
Old friends to be lost
New friends to be found.
There's so much time these days
For pleasure, work and play,
Time to make the best of life
The best of every day.
There's so much to be lost these days
If we just sit back and cry,
But for those who make
The most and best of life
There is no time to die.
V Wilson, Heighington.
An English Year
In winter we have frost and snow
And floods when rivers overflow.
It's dark and grey for weeks on end,
We all stay in and save, not spend.
But in spring we have the flowers in bloom
Tulips and daffodils in every room.
We have a few showers and more daylight
And the lambs in the fields are a pretty sight.
Moving into summer and towards our hols,
Everybody's happy both the guys and dolls,
Lying on the beach in the boiling sun,
While kiddies build their castles, having lots of fun.
We finish off with autumn when The leaves all leave the trees.
The nights are drawing in and we have a cooling breeze.
This is a tale of England
As the seasons come and go.
We will soon be back where we began among the ice and snow.
Derek Robinson, Stockton.
My Lazy Brother
I get out of my bunk bed:
"Get up Carl."
I get dressed:
"Get up Carl."
Get washed and do my teeth:
"Get up Carl."
I eat my breakfast:
"Get up Carl."
I go and put my shoes on:
"Finally you are down.
"Well I am going to school now so tough luck."
Bye!
Ashleigh Cook, aged ten,
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