BYLINY: a nostalgia form'that which happened '
ADOLESCENT SCENES
during the Forties
I was just a lad
growing up
was not so bad
Summer evenings
lengthened long
clambered trees
with birds in full song
across nearby fields
&over the brook
studying in nature's
real-timebook
scaled branches
for my egg collection
wild flowers
then pressed to perfection
fishing for stickleback
with jamjar and net
oftimes slipping
&getting wet
boys' club
in the old school hall
indoor hockey i
with a ragged ball
gathering conkers
on Chestnut Crescent
for annual contests adolescent
blue-paper fireworks
fifth November,
baked spuds
in glowing ember
around the streets
carol singing
boxes rattling lanterns swinging
indelible magic memoir
remembered scenes from afar
Year first Posted 2007
Categories:
stickleback, childhood, nostalgia,
Form: Bio
Word Bank 2: animal names
This time the theme is picking an animal mythical or real and try to rhyme with a person's name. E.g. Doug the slug/pug or Daniel the spaniel
Sandra/Amanda the Panda, Jack the stickleback, Joey the Joey, Sue the Kangaroo, Emily the bumblebee, Jake the snake, Peter the ant-eater, Skye the butterfly, Jim the pangolin, Betty the Yeti, Ben/Ken the hen, Kat the bat, Martin the house-martin, Tony the pony, Kimberly the flea, Shaun the Prawn.
Again comment below if you can think of any more.
Categories:
stickleback, animal, boy, community, girl,
Form: Rhyme
ADOLESCENT SCENES
during the Forties
I was just a lad
growing up
was not so bad
Summer evenings
lengthened long
clambered trees
with birds in full song
across nearby fields
&over the brook
studying in nature's
real-timebook
scaled branches
for my egg collection
wild flowers
then pressed to perfection
fishing for stickleback
with jamjar and net
oftimes slipping
&getting wet
boys' club
in the old school hall
indoor hockey i
with a ragged ball
gathering conkers
on Chestnut Crescent
for annual contests adolescent
blue-paper fireworks
fifth November,
baked spuds
in glowing ember
around the streets
carol singing
boxes rattling lanterns swinging
indelible magic memoir
remembered scenes from afar
Year first Posted 2007
Categories:
stickleback, nostalgia,
Form: Verse
Grey clouds dispersing above the Lough,
Grey geese skeining to winter fields for from arctic chill,
Rainbow colours reflected in water still and deep,
Chill and cold in the depths along with bream and Roach,
Amongst the weed and silt lie Pike waiting patiently,
For some small unassuming stickleback or baggie
To fill its ever hungry belly.
Arching rainbow across the hills leading to a pot,
But the gold is in the town and its deep cold lough.
Do Kelpies run off the hills finding refuge and rest,
Down the burns they skelter unseen ,unknown,
Only by frothy white water bubble and hear their ,
Unearthly whinnie amongst the crannies of ancient hill.
On dark nights when water is high will you hear the Kelpies cry.
Categories:
stickleback, appreciation, autumn, beautiful, earth,
Form: Free verse
Stickleback, stickleback, where might you be
Please could you go find my mummy for me
Into your waters it’s said that she walked
Daddy says sorry that he never talked
Stickleback, stickleback, if she’s around
Ask her to make for me some kind of sound
Could she perhaps make the reeds swish and sway
I could tell mummy I heard her today
Stickleback, stickleback, find her and then
Tell her we’d so like to see her again
Just one reflection that ripples away
I could tell mummy I saw her today
Stickleback, stickleback, where does she rest
She was unhappy yet nobody guessed
If she would just send a cool breeze my way
I could tell mummy I felt her today
5 October 2021
Foe Rhyme me a rhyme contest, using image 3
Sponsor: Eve Roper
Categories:
stickleback, absence, mother, sad,
Form: Rhyme
during the Forties
I was just a lad
growing up
was not so bad
Summer evenings
lengthened long
clambered trees
with birds in full song
across nearby fields
&over the brook
studying in nature's
real-timebook
scaled branches
for my egg collection
wild flowers
then pressed to perfection
fishing for stickleback
with jamjar and net
oftimes slipping
&getting wet
boys' club
in the old school hall
indoor hockey i
with a ragged ball
gathering conkers
on Chestnut Crescent
for annual contests adolescent
blue-paper fireworks
fifth November,
baked spuds
in glowing ember
around the streets
carol singing
boxes rattling lanterns swinging
indelible magic memoir
remembered scenes from afar
Year first Posted 2007
Categories:
stickleback, childhood, nostalgia,
Form: Rhyme
Stickleback
The stickleback had survived chilly
Spring and well into warm, moist
Summer.
His three spines keeping him safe
From even the glutton sabre toothed
Pike.
A chance in a million caught Him
In my childish net. He didn’t know
Statistics.
Thrashing and flopping to the gleeful
Chortles and chuckles of us little
Boys
He was slithered into my jam jar and
Marched triumphantly home in murky
Purgatory.
Slow death on the kitchen windowsill
Overtook him, cooking in the hot summer
Sun.
Categories:
stickleback, fish, river,
Form: Free verse
One time a stickleback
Asked a tadpole what’s the craic
He replied there’s nothin’ doing
It’s just the water I was viewing
So he slurped a glass of gin
And let the stickleback begin
To swim upside down in loops
Until his eyes began to droop
I’m becoming very dizzy
Feels like the Mississippi
The stickleback then stopped
The tadpole’s eyes had nearly popped
The stickleback said sorry
Do you like calamari?
The tadpole then replied
When I’m swimming with the tide
I find it can be chewy
It turns my tail real gooey
The stickleback said no way
It makes a rather nice buffet
They then said their goodbyes
And the stickleback advised
Calamari you shouldn’t swallow
Or trouble it will follow
Good luck and take it handy
Said the tadpole sipping brandy
The stickleback swam off
To have some beer and stroganoff
Categories:
stickleback, children, humorous,
Form: Light Verse