Old Familiar Places

I tread on the second step

As curled on the first is

No cat

With refilled cup I sit with care
For on my warmed seat is
No cat

By the bedroom the carpet is scratched
But the door is shut, our sleep is disturbed by
No cat

Beside me when I dig
Or asleep on a pile of warm grass
No cat

In the lane at night*
White feet silent, grey back invisible
Not even the ghost of a cat

Socks used to go with me to post letters. In the dark all I could see was 4 white feet. Not a 'headless horsemen' but a bodyless cat

Gorse

"When the Gorse is out of bloom"

Kissing is out of season

Or so she learnt as they walked together

On hills bright with golden flowers

Across fields, over stiles, through kissing gates

 

Now she knows the prickles of gorse

Walks through kissing gates alone

But the herbal tells her

Gorse – a remedy for despair

Written at a workshop at Whitby Folk Week given by Angela Topping

Doggerel for Christmas 2020

 Wassail

Wassail, wassail all over the town
The year may be strange but we’ll not be cast down
A better new year may we all see
And I'll drink to you all in a nice cup of tea

(various verses about folk music / choir / u3a / walking groups etc inserted as appropriate
Now here's to our dance clubs and may they soon meet
Touch and eye contact they cannot be beat,
A dance club that meets may we all see,
And I'll drink to you all in a nice cup of tea

Here’s to the groups that are meeting by Zoom
Learning and chatting from our own room
Meetings in person may we soon see
And all drink together a nice cup of tea)

To friends and to family, far and near
A happy solstice and a better new year
A better new year may we all see,
And I'll drink to you all in a nice cup of tea

Christmas doggerel for Tom 2021

 For my Pony Club member grandson

Twas the day before Christmas, Santa in a stew
My reindeer are coughing, what shall I do
Tom said “Take Iggy, he jumps very high
He’ll pull your sleigh right up to the sky”

So Iggy and Pickle were harnessed with haste
The presents were loaded “Now off to the East
The sun there dawns first on the 25th date
Stockings are hanging, we mustn’t be late”

Then Santa and Tom both shouted “Away”
And Pickle and Iggy took off with the sleigh.

When they got back to Kelsall with half the job done
The ponies were flagging, they could not go on.
So Tom said to Santa “we’ll go in Mum’s car
I know how to drive* and I don’t care how far”

They climbed in the car with the sleigh towed behind
And off again Westward more stockings to find
And before the world’s children children awoke on the morn
The presents were waiting and Tom’s job was done

* He's starting early, by reversing the car in front of the stable, and driving round the arena

Christmas doggerel for Emily 2021

 

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse
The mouse was quite still, hid under a chair,
Hoping that Treacle would not find him there.

Bear told the young cats that if they’d been good
On Christmas Day there’d be presents and food.
So they hung up their mittens and curled up to dream
Of treats and of turkey and saucers of cream

And on Christmas morning, like all girls and boys
The children were busy unwrapping their toys
The kittens chased paper and played hide and seek,
While Bear* found a safe place to go back to sleep.

*When my grandson was learning to talk he found Bear's name quite confusing. For a time every black animal was 'bear', including my hens

Christmas Doggerel for Christmas 2021

Deck your face with mask so jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la
Catching covid would be folly
Fa-la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la
Tis the time for merry meeting
Fa-la-la La-la-la La-la-la-la
Festive fun and overeating
Fa-la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la


Every year I used to write a Round Robin letter (edited to suit the recipient) but after a while it gets a bit samey - still dancing, grandchildren still growing etc. And the urge to write doggerel is irresistible.

 Candles

The family rallied round, as families do

Cows were milked, you were clothed and fed.

But who will light your birthday candles?

 

Cousins live nearby, aunts and uncles do what they can.

They take you to friends parties to celebrate

A day that is special just for them;

Your birthday is shared.

 

One year passes, three years, five,

Ice forms over the deep pit of sorrow.

But the ice is thin, a small thing could crack it.

It might melt in the warmth of a candle