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,

Newton Aycliffe.