| Natural Beauty |
We find beauty in the most unlikely places. We can find it in the petals of a flower struggling for survival on a rubbish tip. We can find it in the scream of a baby.
It is a sad fact that most of us do not see the beauty that stands right before our eyes. In today’s fast-paced rush from birth to death, we forget to stop along the way and look at the world we are racing through. We forget to appreciate all the beauties it has. We also forget to appreciate the people around us.
So, for the good of our own souls, we should take time to seek out beauty wherever we can find it, and enjoy it.
We hope you will find pleasure in this compilation of poetry by a group of different poets. They have all taken a look at beauty in its many forms and told us what they think about it. Each person’s vision is different from every other. But that in itself is one of the beauties of life - its sheer diversity.
When reading this anthology of poetry, we hope that you can arrive at a deeper understanding and appreciation of beauty, as seen through the eyes of each beholder.
IN THE GLOAMING
Have you ever watched the sky above
Whilst lying on the grass,
The trees between all brown and green
And clouds above scudding fast?
The evening light is fading at close of day,
and languor washes over you after a day of play.
What could be greater than the night should change
Into a colourful kaleidoscope array.
The blue of sky deepens into aquamarine
And all the clouds are rosy and wispy with their hue.
As they move, a yellow light appears.
The gloaming then goes red and gold as light disappears.
The garden shadows deepen
And there is a pinky light.
But all the time, the sky is moving
Further towards the night.
It's as tho' the sky was brushed with red,
And outlines the hills so dark,
Then the clouds turn over and darkness falls,
Such beauty can only come from nature's moving times.
Audrey Porter, Castle Douglas, Scotland
THE LADY IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
She stepped in from the wild space
Moving her golden shape on the covered surface
Dark shoes and slender face
She stepped in dressed with pride
A little, very little to hide
The lady in the wild countryside
In medium height and full perfection
The lady in the countryside
Closer and closer empowered my attention
The sounds of her lightweight along the floor
Silently in me opened a big door
She stepped in that summer night
Eyes so pure beside me and smile so warm
Gave birth to dreams and thoughts took form
The lady in white and skin so bright
Stole my heart in the wild countryside
And I was weak, still too weak against to fight
Messan Foley, Edinburgh, Scotland
APPROACHING AUTUMN
High summer now rules our days
And the gardeners reap their just rewards,
Nasturtiums, Geraniums, Marigolds form
Brilliant borders, round well trimmed swards,
Yet an anticipatory sadness permeates
Mother Nature's encircling view,
For purple, that bright colour of mourning
Is throughout the dominant hue.
Purple woundwort the roadside verge infests
And purple vetch blooms in the hedgerows,
Tall purple thistles line the fields,
The purple blush of fireweed on the meadows.
Does this foretell the end of summer,
With its glowing brilliant colour trend,
And chill autumn's blustery winds,
That dull browns and ochres send?
Montgomery Hennegin, Stewarton, Scotland
O
The rising crescendo
The waves of desire
I truly feel that I'm on fire
The pulsing, fluttering of butterflies
I moan and I gasp
I flicker my eyes
My breath quickens
As I squeeze you hard between my thighs
Crazy patterns of light beams show
And I can feel my burning juices flow
See the pleasure on my face
As the intense feelings gather pace
I'm falling deeper into a chasm
My muscles jerk with rhythmic spasm
O, the relief, of a mindblowing orgasm
My legs have now turned to quivering jelly
And the beating wings still low in my belly
Slowly my head stops its spinning
And all I can do is lie there grinning
Mandy Laird-Robertson, Strathaven , Scotland
MEANWHILE, THE MOIST STAR
Monks rested here on barefoot penance treks,
en route for ancient abbeys. middle Burg
draws on its ancient well; refreshes still
with unexpected flowers on slag-heap slopes,
unlikely Alpine stars which lantern feet
through cinder-tracks, to dream of vanished masts.
the ashy petals blur like the damp star's
smudged emerald inside a carrot's core
half-way to somewhere else in margined notes,
this public loveliness could lead wise men
out of vague getting done to cogent deeds.
Norah Hill, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham
Norah Hill said: "In 2002, I was appointed Middlesbrough Poet Laureate. I read my work in pubs and nursing homes. I've been a creative writing tutor for disabled people, linking the development of their own dormant creativity to the restoration of identity in the wider ministry of healing or re-shaping through Christ, the original Potter's self-image. I've had three solo collections published. Of Many Coloured Glass (Paranoia Press), Over the Border (Mudfog) and Like (Mudfog). I'm exploring connections between contemporary and ancient concepts of self example, the first face transplant and the Lord make his face to shine upon thee."
ATACAMA
Sand, slowly shifting
Whispering in a vast emptiness
I hold a single grain
In the palm of my hand
Echoes of the past
How and why
Visions of the future
What does it see?
Where will it be?
Blowing free?
Sky, blue and clear
Stretching away
Disappearing into eternity
Here in the desert
Calm and serene
Amongst shifting sand
Beneath clear blue sky
I find my peace
Elaine Rank, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
THE SURVIVOR
Have you seen the snail with three tentacles?
Two looking for predators,
Food and rain, in that order.
The central shaft of stiff jelly
Looking deep into the future;
The pin-prick black pit of infinity, a black hole,
Rising and falling with predictions.
The thrush,
The hedgehog, the footfall,
All seen as they come.
But on the leaf, in the rain,
The oracle-tentacle contemplates at full measure.
Richard Kettlewood, Goole, East Yorkshire
ETERNAL LOVE
There is no beginning,
There is no ending;
That is the natural beauty of our eternal love.
As it never began,
So it never ended.
It became eternal as you and I confided in us.
Again, in this reunion
There is a snag.
You can't reveal to your world and I can't to mine.
So, let's disclose to the wider world,
Let them know that our love was nipped in the bud
And bloomed eternally.
Now, who needs any love songs
When we can write our own;
When we can sing our own and dance to our own tune.
The song continues,
The song carries on,
But the ink in all the pens and papers aren't enough.
So let's toast to our love,
Which is as pure as a dove.
Anantha Rudravajhala, Middleton, Greater Manchester
A BEAUTY MUCH MORE THAN SKIN DEEP
The love of Jesus is something beyond compare
It goes deep into your soul, deep into your heart
A beauty you cannot see, you cannot touch
But you can become aware and you know it is there
Know that blessed assurance Jesus is mine
It is a beauty much more than skin deep
Drug addicts, alcoholics, those who live on the streets
Jesus loves you all, with him he wants you to meet
Jesus knows our secrets, hears us cry out when weak
Turn to him, trust in him, he can lift you above it
With Jesus there is no hill to climb ever too steep
You will soon know a beauty is much more than skin deep
Elizabeth Moore, Limavady, Northern Ireland
CUMULUS
I saw the cloud
And the cloud saw me
And I talked to her for company.
And the cloud said, "Watch while
I fluff and flurry,
Though I can't stay long as the wind's in a hurry."
And she bubbled up high making turrets and towers,
Wisps of silk and sprays of flowers.
She laughed at me
And I laughed at her
But the wind took her up into pale blue air.
"Can't you come," she said, "And
take my hand?,
And we'll dance over forest and field and strand."
She looked back once as she crossed the hill,
She had spread her arms and was dancing still.
I waved to her
And she waved to me
And I followed her as far as the eye could see.
Frank Ryding, Bodenham, Herefordshire
BEAUTY, UNTOUCHED BY HUMAN HAND
Natural beauty surrounds the human being, in every walk
of life.
From the beginning in the form of a baby,
Naturally developed within its mother's womb,
The wonderment of that helpless baby,
Miraculously emerging into an independent adult,
Able to enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds his world.
The vast expansive sea, with it waves
Lapping gently, or in anger when the sea vents its fury.
Gentle rain that falls from the sky,
To bring forth the seeds that lie beneath the dark brown
earth,
The wonderment of snowflakes, each with its own unique pattern,
Covering the ground with a pure white cloak,
The awakening of a flower, as it blooms from its dormant
bud,
The bonds of trust and love that can grow between man and
beast,
Love, the greatest natural beauty,
It touches without preference, both man and beast,
Enabling their worlds to become havens,
Of never ending wellbeing and security.
Mary Baynham, Hereford, Herefordshire
FROM ATV
Remember the programmes we watched you and me
Those old ones from ATV
Them old programmes in
Black and white
And how you got
The little dot
At night
Remember our television
Colour dark brown
The little dot meant
It was time to closedown
No more oldies
Will be there
From the 50 years
Of ATV
Clifford Woodfield, Birmingham, West Midlands
WHAT WILL IT BE?
The summer's gone,
We are in the fall.
What does winter have in store?
Perhaps icy roads, creaking trees,
We may even see the river freeze.
Jack Frost with his silver patterns,
Carol singers with their lanterns.
Perhaps some snow, all crisp and white;
I know this is a child's delight.
Ice and leaves upon the lines,
Will our train arrive on time?
Icicles from the pylons hang all round
Electric cables on the ground.
I am sure animals know best,
They are fast asleep in their nests;
Stay snug and warm 'til winter's gone,
Awake quite fresh at spring day dawn.
Pamela Hopes, Thatchall, Berkshire
SUMMER NIGHT IN THE GARDEN
Stealthily, shadows softly creep,
A breath of air, a gentle breeze
Raises perfumes from the scented bushes,
Attracted to lamps, the moths leap.
White flowers glimmer, white on white,
Water lilies ruled by the moon
Shimmer white on rippled water,
Gardens bathed in softest light.
A whining sound, a biting gnat,
Snuffles tell the hedgehog's working,
Tiny mice go scurrying by,
Across the sky a searching bat.
Night noises rustle across the dale,
A baby owl gives tiny hoot,
The lightest rain refreshes all,
And right on cue, the nightingale.
Ivy Allpress, Loughton, Buckinghamshire
SKIN CREEP
It was unanimously conceded,
That Kitty was exceedingly pretty,
But she believed she could look finer,
With lots of creams and an eyeliner.
Many thought it was a great pity,
That Kitty who was already pretty,
Did not heed the pithy ditty
Of drops of water, spots of paint
That make a girl's complexion
Look like what it ain't.
Geoffrey Martin, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
INNER BEAUTY
My mother is beautiful in every way,
Not that of a beauty queen let me say.
Silver now replaces the once golden hair,
And the alert blue eyes now sometimes just stare.
Lines on her face, memorie's from the past,
Something that in my heart, forever will last.
Some caused by laughter, some by tears,
All come together with age through the years.
But deep down inside I'm truly aware,
That there is a beauty beyond compare.
June Downey, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Dedicated to the memory of Lilian Winifred Powell, nee Dulieu. I miss you mum. Your loving daughter.
BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP
Beauty is only skin deep so they say,
I believe this to be true more each day.
It's what a person is inside that counts,
For beauty comes from within in large amounts.
There is beauty in a summers day,
Or even when the sky is full of clouds of grey.
For beauty is within the soul,
I know because my feelings I cannot control.
I have loved you right from the start,
Please don't reject this loving heart.
I don't care what you are or have been,
I know you from inside and you will always be my queen.
How full my heart will surely be
If you will consent to marry me.
I kneel before you, please give me your hand,
Then I will take you to the promised land
Where dreams can come true for those in love
And fortune will smile on us from heaven above.
Enid Skelton, Luton, Bedfordshire
NEW YEAR, NEW LIFE
Yet again a year has passed so swiftly
As the bells ring in the new.
And as the ghost of the past
Make way for the spirit
Of a new time yet to come.
As a new dawn slowly approaches,
In an eerie cone of silence,
Foretelling of the life ahead
For all living life on Earth.
The snows of winter, and floods of fear
Show no mercy for its prey;
As the trees of the woodlands
Shed their leaves,
With the howling of the winds.
But good will come from the bad seed
As summertime draws near.
With clear blue skies and blossom time,
With fields of fresh mown hay.
And the cries of new born infants,
New lives for those passed on.
Jim Carlin, Barnstaple, Devon
ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP
Sitting on the mountain top
Watching the world go by,
Beautiful scenery all around
Far-away from the valley
And so near to the blue sky.
Sitting on the mountain top,
I can see for miles.
Wild flowers blooming in the wind,
In colours of yellow and blue and pink,
A little butterfly hovering by.
Wild flowers, all different, specific designed,
Lovingly done by its Maker.
God's creation all around,
I feel so grateful I can't explain, I am so glad.
Sitting on the mountain top
At this moment of time.
Christine Goode, Hereford, Herefordshire
SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN
You should always have something to believe in,
Always have that something in your heart,
A reason to keep going when the chips are down,
A reason to keep smiling like a happy clown.
You should always look out for a bright new rainbow,
Look for the silver lining round each cloud.
Then you will face the future with heart,
You'll hold your head up high and you'll feel proud.
When you do find something to believe in,
Way down deep inside you'll feel a glow.
You'll then have found a reason to be living,
and when you've found that something,
You'll just know.
Patricia Evans, Norwich, Norfolk
THE ICE IN MY DREAMS
When the cold wind blows it brings snow to this land.
In my dreams I rise in my gondola to the peaks;
To the glaciers and ice fields glistening and white,
Oh what a beautiful sight. What a beautiful sight.
Majestic and grand, the Rockies they stand,
Tipped with ice so blue; It's a magnificent sight.
Not a sound is heard in this vast wonderland,
Just a faint smell of sulphur wafts through the air.
I sit here and dream of the things that I've seen;
Thundering waterfalls, Alpine lakes and delicate flowers;
Grizzlies and elk, mountain goats, bald eagles,
Whales and salmon, just a taste of these fabulous scenes.
My mind is a kaleidoscope of wonderment,
The awesome power and beauty of this land fills my mind.
The melodious tinkling of the ice in the quiet of the night,
Lulls me to sleep, and to beautiful dreams.
Pamela Ratcliff, Ely, Cambridgeshire
INNOCENCE
There is nothing like the natural beauty on the face of
a
little child,
With its large and innocent eyes, and whimsical little smile.
Tiny little fingers that tightly grip your hand,
With the smallest feet, so very neat, but with a cry that
gets demand.
Soft and cuddly, sweet and warm, it may keep you up until
dawn.
With its rosy cheeks and dimpled skin, come what may you
have to give in
To its many needs, and many charms, and the need to hold
it in your
arms.
For a child is a beautiful miracle, a blessing from above
That will grow and flourish and fill hearts with joy and
love.
Jan Imeson, Allington, Lincolnshire
A TIMELESS PLACE
Majestic snow clad mountains reaching
Down to the sea.
Blossoms in abundance relishing
The cool mountain air.
As the day breaks, a ladder of sunlight appears
From infinity.
Boars and wild deer darting through the forests,
Fleeing in tumult from the intrusion
Of humanity.
I watch my reflection mirrored in clear tumbling waterfalls
And gentle flowing streams, their
Secrets remain hidden.
Natures spoken word, its beauty haunts my soul
With an eternal passion.
I wander away from the crowd, speechless.
My heart is filled with a sense of joy,
For all at once I am heaven bound.
Claire Grayson, London
STEALING BEAUTY
Beauty is from within, they say.
But cheats want to steal it away,
With surgery and a knife,
To improve their sad life.
They spend quite a bit,
And still look like shit.
The sad hags who then say: heck
Now I look like something out of Star Trek.
Beauty is something you cannot buy,
But they are addicted to the lie,
When the truth gets loose,
They want to buy a noose,
When they see real beauty they howl,
Because all they've got is a scowl.
They find that beauty doesn't come in a jar,
And for them it is a dream too far,
They will never get it,
And they live to regret it.
Hayley Watson, London
SEEING YOU
Seeing you makes me feel no pain,
Seeing you again makes you
Think of my life, there is a life
Without pain so I can be there
With you, so I think of you while
I am holding onto you so tight.
That pulls me through the days
And nights so I can live my life
And think of you as I am seeing
You that night.
Sandra Goddard, Kingston, Surrey
BANFF LINKS
Where windborne chanter and drone,
Cut the breeze over links new mown,
The North Sea laps to rockpool world,
By golden sands and standing stones.
Beyond Whitehills the smoke plume shows,
Tillynaught Express, goes up the cry
As starter-pistol children race the train,
The rumble under the bridge to gain.
Blue footed from the Moray surf,
Now hotfoot over the rolling turf.
Hands wave from slam door sides,
One minute slowing to harbour station,
Then hand turntable time.
Race you back to the tartan rugs,
To the shivery crunch of a chittery bite
And blue enamel mugs.
Gordon Love, Kingsdown, Kent
THE WILDERNESS
We went to the wilderness, my love and I,
Mountains met lakes, the wind but a sigh,
Silence and beauty, flowers and trees,
A natural heaven, memories like these.
Clear mountain water tumbling fast,
Smoothing the rocks of an infinite past,
Natural wilderness, glorious scene,
We walked hand in hand in this beautiful dream.
And like a miracle ambling there,
We saw in the tree line a beautiful bear,
A mother with babies so skittish and bright,
They tumbled and played in summer's sunlight.
We will never forget them as long as we live,
A joy and a privilege God chose to give,
Their beauty and innocence seen while at play
Gave us a gift on that magical day.
Ann Pendleton, Enfield, Greater London
CLAIRE'S BABY
Early sun slanting through the trees,
Pure fresh dew upon the lawn,
Small creatures very slowly waking,
This was the day that he was born.
Small murmur of the world leaving sleep,
Cockerel crowing loud with joy,
Mum softly smiling as he sleeps,
At their own very lovely boy.
What beauty nature has just created,
This miracle she has before her eyes;
Deep love is building up between them,
What comfort will she give each time he cries.
This is the ultimate in life's deep love,
No equal can be found in other things,
This wonderful event will be supreme,
And all the time the happy heart sings.
John Burr, Tonbridge, Kent
FROM ATV
Remember the programmes we watched you and me
Those old ones from ATV
Them old programmes in
Black and white
And how you got
The little dot
At night
Remember our television
Colour dark brown
The little dot meant
It was time to closedown
No more oldies
Will be there
From the 50 years
Of ATV
Clifford Woodfield, Birmingham, West Midlands