Formula Fe2 O3
Iron is just awesome – let’s see!
First it was prehistoric man
Who was always an iron fan
Iron is a third of the earth
Industry is iron by birth
Pritchard designed and Darby made
Iconic Iron Bridge won’t fade
Smelt pig iron from iron ore
Produces cast iron galore
Backbone of skyscrapers, bridges
Organs of cars, washers, fridges
Clever Bessemer carbon gone
Heralded steel for everyone
Mankind’s most ingenious feat
Turning raw earth to steel – so neat!
Iron’s compounds are versatile
No wonder it’s used all the while
Inks, fertilisers, pesticides
Paints, enamels and more besides
Many iron phrases pervade
Each as an English language aid
There’s ironclad, iron curtain
Iron grip and more for certain
We need it in a small amount
For on haemoglobin we count
Open your eyes and look around
Everywhere an iron surround
Iron has magnetic appeal
First place must be iron with steel
I found a blade beside the rose,
its silver kissed by morning’s close;
It caught the sun as if to keep
the fire warm while earth still sleeps.
It did not stir when I drew near,
nor tremble with a hint of fear;
It seemed to watch, in patient grace,
the wind that touched its polished face.
A vine had curled around its hilt,
like memory round the things we’ve built;
And rain had carved, in tiny streams,
the stories only metal dreams.
I reached to lift it from the ground,
and heard a low, unshaken sound—
The whisper steel will sometimes say:
“My edge was honed for more than play.”
Yet still it let my fingers hold,
its weight both steady, warm, and cold;
And in that moment, I could see
the storm it was, the calm it’d be.
For Sir Brian Strand's 1400 Poetry Contest
1 August 2025
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// \\ iron fingers reach
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/_|___|_\ the clouds through memory’s stare ~
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///| |\\\ Paris holds its breath
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Skies of gray
Skies of gloom
Storm clouds say
Bringing doom
Dark steel day
Blustering winds
Turmoil cloud
Sleeting sends
Hail stones loud
Dark steel day
Storm surrounds
Gale force wind
Beating down
Without end
Dark steel day
Icy air
Breath of steam
No despair
Just winter’s dream
Dark steel day
Storms they rise
Then they go
No surprise
If you know
Dark steel day
Dark steel days ahead and behind
Dark steel days on my mind
Dark steel days good and bad
Dark steel days we’ve all had
Dark steel day!
The heather weeps, a purple bruise,
Across the glens, the chilling news.
No bagpipes drone a mournful sound,
But sirens wail on hallowed ground.
A thistle bleeds, its prickling crown,
As innocence is stricken down.
Young eyes, once bright with Highland fire,
Now gleam with something dark and dire.
The steel they flash, a twisted boast,
A stolen childhood, dearly lost.
Each shadowed lane, a whispered fear,
Of blades that gleam and futures near,
Consumed by rage, a hollow pride,
Where youthful dreams have gone to hide.
Parents clutch, with hearts ablaze,
Afraid to loose in this iron maze.
The ancient stones, they stand and stare,
At broken vows and whispered prayer.
Can Scotland rise, her spirit mend,
And teach these children how to bend,
The steel to craft, the hands to heal,
And learn the wounds are truly real?
To trade the blade for open hand,
And reclaim peace within the land.
Watched “Man Of Steel” last night
Reminded me of my own super powers
Don't want to brag or anything like that
But this role is not for cowards
My mission is should I choose to accept it
To rid this old world of sadness
Not an easy task the way things are going
But SUPERMAN can end this madness
He does it with love lightness and laughter
Acts silly plays the part of a clown
Always upbeat and ready with the funnies
So people can't possibly be down
He doesn't expect a reward or great fame
Just to know the sadness he's defeated
Then zooms up high into the heavens above
To return where ever he's needed
The fire burns, with embers glow
Even still, this house feels cold
The wind softly sighs it's goodbyes
I lay two plates upon the wood
Though one gets cold
I pour the tea, it spills and pools
My hands shake at the thought of you
The clock still ticks, the world still turns
But time means little to me
With every knock I pray it's thee
Your coat on the wall, with boots by the door
Your voice still lingers, but I wake to hear it no more
They sent a letter quick and cold
With words of honor and sympathy from we
But honor can not warm me.
Reflections
Concrete and steel,
black windows,
multi-level buildings.
Artificial constructs
meant to keep humans
protected from nature.
Grass and trees
mere reflections
in the dark black glass.
Or are the buildings
mere reflections of
nature.
What is real and
what are ghostly reflections?
In our modern world
we have isolated ourselves
so much that it is difficult to know.
Caught in the shadow of rust and steel.
I've forgotten my pain but can't seem to feel.
The ground is cold and swallows me whole.
The sun has gone away and taken my soul.
I look to the past and hunt for the light.
The wind rushes by and kills me with its bite.
The gray and sorrow are too much to take and the person I've become is too hard to fake.
Steel giants approach,
Horns shatter me, surprise floods
My serenity.
Steel Ruler
My steel ruler, Mr I Will
Toy With Your
Affections, passed away
last Wednesday. The doctor said it was a
severe, sudden disease that
was going around that got her. At her funeral in
the backyard I sung to
her her favourite vowels i and v, then I
confessed for her to be the
Cheese Stick snatcher. My stationary wept, then I
supervised, judged, a
celebration adagio that was
secretly a
competition. Of course, the ones whom didn’t move
slowly were
automatically OUT! And the winner was:
Mr Hole Puncher. No prize was given. Who placed
2nd? Well, in
my mind there’s
no 2nd.
I am a beacon of light for my homeland. My quaint village, serene yet vibrant, is a haven of peace. The youth, with their carefree spirit, fill the air with laughter and song, unbothered by the world beyond. Even the birds know to respect the tranquility of our lives.
From the winding road that leads to the bustling city, the countryside remains unchanged. I love to gaze out and let my thoughts wander as I speed by in the fast-moving vans. My people, ever resilient, continue to drink from the well of life and mind their own business.
Today marks what would have been my late mother's 94th birthday. She was one of my favorite people, a true embodiment of our country's spirit. Rest in peace, dear mother.
With Christmas just twelve days away, I look forward to blending once again with my countrymen, like a well-orchestrated steel band. From New York to the Caribbean shores, no holiday celebration is complete without the melodious sound of the steel pan in Queen Park.
Whether we cry in a storm or dance in the rain, this time of year celebrates life and honors those we've lost. I am a ray of sunshine for my country's people. Merry Christmas, my beloved homeland.
My fake confidence
Could surely kill you,
Large and colossal,
A giant in its hard shell.
It clings to me,
Armor I didn’t choose,
A brittle shield
That I’ve painted gold.
I see your ego drilling into you,
Spiraling, twisting,
Digging deeper than you know.
There’s no turning back—
You’re tied to the tracks.
The iron bites,
A weight you thought you could carry.
The whistle is blowing,
Echoing through the air,
And the train is in the distance, growing.
Your defiance burns—
Eyes locked on mine,
But I see the cracks
You won’t let show.
And I stand there,
Feet planted,
Hands clenched at my sides.
Do I untie you?
Do I run?
Or do I stay and let the collision come?
Because when the train arrives,
It’s not just you.
My confidence stands too tall,
Too hollow,
To survive the blow.
And when the whistle fades,
What will be left?
Not us—
Only the tracks.
We break the cage and rise so high,
With wings of steel, we touch the sky.
Pouring gold in the rain, we soar,
Chasing dreams forevermore.
We shatter the cage, then rise and glide,
With wings of steel, in the storm we ride.
Gold in the rain, we leave behind,
Chasing dreams that dare unwind.
My love like steel and silk
cuts through you
splutters your blood
watermelon juice down a throat
Wipes it with yellow silken ribbon
for you to suck afresh
that you may find your
Godly seed within
My love like dragonflies and bees
silently landing on stamen or pistils
alchemising nectar into patterned
dust upon transparent wings
Earth rewards my love with morning glory
steel severs sunflower stems
silkworms crawl into a wet rose centre
pollen stolen in sparkling dew
My steely silken love refreshed
from your flowered stickiness
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