another 4th place

My poem 'The Christmas Box' received an Honary Mention (joint 4th place)in a christmas contest on allpoetry.com 24/12/2011.

4th Place

Awarded an Honary Mention (4th place) for 'A Better Way' in contest on
ALLPOETRY.COM 6/12/2011

Christmas Is Here. (revised)

Decorations are in shop windows
yuletide music is all we can hear.
Pretty lights shine in the town centre
making it feel like Christmas is here.

Plans are made for friends to meet
to celebrate with food and beer.
Neighbours are putting up trees
making it feel like Christmas is here.

Soldiers have come home on leave
kissing loved ones, shedding a tear.
People travel to be with families
making it feel like Christmas is here.

Children practice the nativity plays
we love so much this time of year.
Choirs can be heard singing carols
making it feel like Christmas is here.

Very soon the turkey will be cooking
for the family meal we hold so dear.
Excited children will open presents
then we’ll be saying ‘Christmas is here!’

A Coin For My Pocket

A coin for my pocket sir
for something to eat?
with no mum and dad
we beg on the street.
Not eaten for two days
my little sister and me.
A coin for my pocket sir
for a warm cup of tea?

A coin for my pocket miss
to get shoes for our feet?
We haven’t got a penny
or anywhere to sleep.
Our feet are really sore
without shoes they bleed.
A coin for my pocket miss
for something we need?

Here is the money mum
from begging on the street.
Got a lot of coins today
from fooling who we meet.
They give us their money
in the old marketplace.
Taking pity on my sister
with her grubby little face.

4th place.

My Poem 'Close To Me' awarded Honary Mention (joint 4th place) in a contest on ALL POETRY.COM 5/11/2011.

Poem of the week

My most recent poem 'I Missed Them All Today' has been voted as 'Poem of the week' today on POETRY RETREAT.COM

Anthology

My poem 'IT'S RAINING' is to be puplished in the Forward Press Anthology
'The Symphony of Life' January 2012. This is one of a number of poems I will have had published in Forward Press Anthologies in the last 18 months.

I Missed Them All Today.

I missed my wife today
while she had to be away.
Realised how lonely I’d be
if she wasn’t here with me.

Without her love and smile
life wouldn’t be worthwhile
I missed my wife today.


I missed my children today
seeing them happily at play.
Sunny days and ice creams
bedtime stories before dreams.

They’ve grown and moved on
now my little ones are gone.
I missed my children today.


I missed my father today
working Monday to Friday.
Taking us out on Saturday.
preaching in church on Sunday.

Taken from us far too young
long before his life was done.
I missed my father today.


I missed my mother today
busily getting through the day.
Dinner cooking, smelling good
afternoon read when she could.

Never a moan, often a smile
looking after us, all the while.
I missed my mother today.

I missed them all today.

Poem of the month

POETRY RETREAT.COM = Voted my poem 'Children No More' as Poem of the week for 17th September 2011

Gold Awards

ALLPOETRY.COM = Gold Award in contest with 'All I Need Is You.' 15/09/2011
and Gold Award in contest with 'Keep Love's Candle Burning' 25/09/2011