At Lough Allua, along the waterfront
One observes a turning of the tide
From river stones, which stay blunt
Are nature’s creatures, who needn’t hide
A little toad searches for anew
Commencing a journey made by few
Its passage, grows so weary
Following the gravel track
On its way to Ballingeary
High ditches cloak edges of the roads
Serving to both sides, a useful shield
Tender branches break against the cars
And one peers through leaves, into a field
To spot vibrant hydrangeas, unconcealed
Yet across the rugged boundary
One can hear the mud clumps crack
With a sand-tinted Hereford bull
Rolling around on his back
Retiring into a pond
Atop the Shehy Mountains
The land in Spring, it is so fond
When in the creases of these hills
The emerging sun shines through the petals
Of those lovely daffodils
Categories:
hereford, ireland,
Form: Rhyme
'Creak creak' says
The old rocking chair
On a tiny old wooden porch
'Aawk aawk' says
The old crow as it
Flies steadily to the north
'Cock-a-doodle-do' says
The red rooster as he clucks
The new day in at half past four
Arise! Coffee's brewing
eggs and bacon on the stove
Hurry! Grab your baskets
Time for pickin' in the grove
Bring your pail out to the barn
Milk the cow and churn butter
Gather a stack of hay in your arms
Feed the baby hereford and his twin brother
Oh what a life in the country
So much work but so much play
When harvest comes there's always such bounty
It's the good Lord we thank each and every day
Categories:
hereford, america, animal, beauty, brother,
Form: Rhyme
Can I say this is a Friesian,
that one a Hereford?
I lived so long in a town
and can say I have forgotten
my recollection as I wander in streets
among cars and bikes.
And yet am I so much missing
beings with four legs,
and those hooves that clomp
when stomping in the road,
ambling from one of those green fields -
chewed down a little now -
to another;
beings with their beauty,
yes, beauty that moves with abundant grace?
(March 2022)
Categories:
hereford, animal, beauty, farm,
Form: Free verse
Like water…
fear seeks its own level
Rich or poor
it wades through our consciousness
Driving us inward
toward sirens of darkness
Shrilling the moment
—with lyres of doubt
(Hereford Inlet: December, 2021)
Categories:
hereford, fear,
Form: Free verse
Raising thoughts and emotion,
the mainsail was set
Heading into the wind
of tomorrow unmet
All stays are in place,
with tiller held fast
Reaching for glory
—the doldrums have passed
(Hereford Inlet: November, 2020)
Categories:
hereford, voice,
Form: Rhyme
The Tragic Story of Rosamund Clifford
By some urge to learn more, beckoned,
I read up the life of Henry the Second.
With Thomas Becket he picked a bone.
This well known fact I'll leave alone.
Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine
became his wife and brought much gain,
but in one matter not enough.
The lack was relieved by a piece of fluff.
In charm and beauty sans pareille
was Rosamund, a bloom in May.
Lest her appearance eyebrows raise
he hid his love in a secret maze,
Or so he thought but his wife got wind
that he and someone else had sinned.
Thus it was that the wily queen
found her way to the hideaway scene.
"By dagger or poison, take your choice,"
said the queen with rasping voice.
No true event but a pure invention
was this encounter, let me mention.
To Hereford this rose they sent
there in a convent to repent.
Still young and fair, alas she died.
For shame once more, she had to hide.
Far from any royal palace
in stone were written words of malice:
"In life her scent was sweet to smell,
but not so now, the truth to tell."
Hic jacet in tumba Rosamundi non Rosamunda, non redolet sed olet, quae redolere solet.
Categories:
hereford, death, romantic love, sad
Form: Ballad
Straight moves the locomotive train miles
Traveling over desert flatland forging ahead,
Coal steam engine Number 9 chug, chug, chug,
Sound waves rolls through, satisfying sensation is said.
Locomotive whistle sounds station steam rolling in,
Little one hears repeats ‘choo-choo’ rolls to stop,
All aboard! Rolls locomotion moving, snack on tasty
Peanut brittle, readying for dining car delicious hop.
Mom holds little son on her lap, with sounds
Cowboys and Indians along the train,
Surprise action wonder, heard of Hereford
Beef cattle is west trademark railroad vein.
Character western attitude locomotive fun
How the west was won whistle-stop rustic town,
Gold payload brought on of family and cousin
Forge ahead, chug along, Heaven brings us together joyous sound.
Categories:
hereford, america, family, heaven, horse,
Form: Rhyme
Willow Around About: Upon the cutting of a willow tree on a traffic roundabout in Hereford 2016.
The Willow weeped for the loss of her City
Proud City, rural trading City
The World and his wife had beaten a track
For the cattle, sold at auction
Bartered in pubs, paraded with pride.
Once great and powerful
Now casting the dice
Dice in a cup, a death rattle
Gambling on a future
Once the City fed the World
Now the World feeds off the City
Bolts of cloth stacked high sold cheap
Quick sale of shoddy goods,
Brick a brack for the masses
Priced by the value of dead trees
Discarded life chopped down
Sawn by men to make way for brick and tar
To make way for a brave hewn world
Willow weeped worrying where will
She be?
Who will care?
Categories:
hereford, nature, tree,
Form: Ballad
James has been to three Paralympics,
Including Rio, and in 2012 in London,
He won a bronze in the mixed sticks,
Of the 10 metre air rifle SH2 prone.
He qualified for that final with a max,
Of 600 points, but the final was tough,
So he fought in a sudden death, axe,
Against Rapheal Voltz, not enough.
He was born on the 8th August 1976,
In Hereford, England, in a small town,
Dawlish in Devon, but does his bricks,
At Mandeville, with a 70 medal gown.
Categories:
hereford, strength, summer,
Form: Quatrain
Squared shoulders sporting a feathered hat,
She sure-stepp’d through the mud without slippage.
Caring not a whit that she stopped both
Horse carriage and his beating heart. Disdain
Enhanced her beauty, this goddess of
Dowlais, coal-miner’s daughter, as smitten
Young Englishman gap’d, “There goes the proudest
Young woman ever. She WILL BE my wife!”
How Stephen of Hereford woo’d Edith
Remains legendary in family
Lore: Enraptured, she followed him,
‘Cross Canadian Prairie to distant
Pacific shore where lands end prevented
Further wand’ring from this home for their hearts.
Categories:
hereford, marriage,
Form: Sonnet
Who will buy my lovely oranges
I am a whore in the bed of Charles II
Nell Gwynn is my name from Hereford I come
Beauty I have money have none.
Acting is my forte yet I must wait my turn
The stage is a busy place, I first must earn
The right to be classed as a star
Not just a bed warmer Charles II whore
I cross dress at times to see how it's done,
this art of beguiling both sexes, thought as a skill
Yet a diva I will become after birthing a son
Another one for Charles to show off at will
Three babies I gave him yet all the time
My stage work continued, couldn't stop,
Illness I can't have, would end my fame
Losing my pecking order topple from the top
Many women share his bed, marries just one
Would rather be footloose care for my son
Than be a wife of a philandering man.
To know I can up and go whenever I want.
Will you buy my lovely oranges, says Nell in loud voice
Revealing her bosoms,you don't have a choice
But stare and think many thoughts of a man
being teased by more than the oranges held in my hand.
penned 24/06/2014
True person
Categories:
hereford, fruit, sexy,
Form: Rhyme
Great Grandpa Zerbst, I wish was here
I'd like him still around
He had a herd of Hereford cows
His farmin' sense was sound
He passed away when I was young
I'd only seen him twice
But even though his life was rough
I'm sure that he was nice
At first, he had some horse-drawn rigs
To grow his crop of wheat
A tractor then, in place of them
That had a metal seat
He had a herd of ninety cows
A huge Wyomin' spread
But now a herd of oil-rigs
Are drillin' in their stead
A lot of things Great Grandpa knew
From distant Germany
But now these things I wish I knew
Are buried 'neath a tree
Categories:
hereford, animal, grandfather, sad, tribute,
Form: Quatrain