My Poetry Blog

My Thingamajig

I bought myself a thingamajig
Now you know what I mean
They come in red and yellow
In blue and black and green

It’s a really clever gadget
And a labour saving device
A thingamajig’s very useful
A thingamajig is nice

I bought it new on eBay
A steal at seven pound
It really was a bargain
The cheapest price around

It works for years on batteries
You know those ‘extra life’
My friend was so impressed
He bought one for his wife

“A thingamajig is foolproof
One really can’t go wrong”
That’s what the advert said
But how do I switch it on?

©Marian Barker

The Blogness Monster

Oh yes it exists
It lurks somewhere beneath
Waiting to snap
With big yellow teeth

And just when you feel
It’s quite safe to blog
It’s there at your heels
Like a troublesome dog

You can kick all you want
That’ll just make it stay
Don’t join in its games
And it might go away

Don’t be dragged to its level
That’s no place to be
Stand firm and keep blogging
Set the blog monster free

©Marian Barker

After Saturday's invitation I just had to re-post this one

Ode on a Turkish Delight

Thou still unwrapped bar of confection
Thou tempting morsel teasing still
Oh chocolate coated ruby jewel
I need to take of you my fill
I yearn to have you to myself
I cannot bear to share
You’re mine all mine
Greedy? - yes but I don’t care
Thy purple wrapper catches light
I lust for you Turkish Delight

©Marian Barker

Remembering

Poppies growing in foreign soil
Reminds us of all those soldiers brave
Who went to war but came not back
But lay forever in some distant grave

©Marian Barker

I wrote this a while back especially for my Mum. Today I'd like to dedicate it to one of my blogfriends

Birdsong

Take me where the earth meets sky
To a place that lifts my spirit high
Take our time to sit and gaze
At the landscape through the haze
Let me sit in silence still
By familiar rocks beside the hill
Take me to that higher ground
Where birdsong is the only sound

©Marian Barker

The Last Word

I’ve got a little problem
It’s eating me alive
Because my poem titles
Exceed the number five

I try to keep them short
I try to keep them brief
But sometimes I need six
And it’s causing me some grief

I’m sure that Burns and Byron
Didn’t have to count each word
Their titles could be any length
This problem hadn’t occurred

But they used pen and paper
Whilst other poets used quills
But this technological age
Is the cause of all these ills

I’ll try and cut my words down
It might take quite some time
Though I’m afraid that sometimes
The poems simply might not rhyme

Six words just keep appearing
Six word just seem to scan
But I’ll try and cut the last word
I will, I must, I ……(can)

©Marian Barker

Blackbird

Come blackbird, sit in my garden
Tell me of all the things you have seen
And all of the secret places
That I’ve never been

Come blackbird, don’t be afraid
I’ll do you no harm I give you my word
Sit next to me right here on the step
I’ve saved you some lunch gentle blackbird

Come blackbird, stay for a while
Sing me your song, that’s what I like best
There’s no-one but me, so you will be safe
Come little bird, just take a short rest

Fly blackbird fly, as free as the wind
Take to the air, fly where you will
But do call again when passing my way
So we can relax and simply sit still

©Marian Barker

Precious Memories

I have a box of treasure
Belonging just to me
Containing priceless souvenirs
And full of history

I have a box of memories
I only have the key
To unlock the many secrets
And reveal the mystery

I have a box that’s precious
In so many different ways
Crammed full of recollections
Of countless lovely days

This box cannot be stolen
Nor damaged by mankind
My precious treasured memories
Are here within my mind

©Marian Barker

Denis the Dinosaur

Millions of years ago
Before snow and ice
There lived many creatures
Some nasty, some nice

One cute little chap
All covered with scales
Had points on his back
And claws for his nails

His mum called him Denis
I don’t know what for
But I cannot ask why
‘cos dinosaurs are no more

©Marian Barker

Odd One Out

I won’t try and steal your husband
It you ask me to your home
I won’t try to seduce him
When you leave us in the room
I won’t flirt behind your back
When invited to your place
I won’t do or say a single thing
That I wouldn’t do to your face
I don’t know why you consider
That I might be a threat
I haven’t nicked anyone’s husband
Well at least I haven’t – yet!

You know that I am joking
That “yet” is just a joke
So trust me I’m quite harmless
I’m just like other folk
I can’t help that I am single
And don’t have a ‘better half’
But you can invite me round for dinner
And we all can have a laugh
So when you are entertaining
Even numbers aren’t a must
Remember that most singletons
Are humans you can trust

Numbers don’t have to be even
Guests don’t have to be in pairs
You needn’t have eight guests
Just because you’ve got eight chairs
But if you’re really bothered
Why not set an extra place
And pretend there’s another person
Sitting at the vacant space
Imagine it’s someone famous
Someone you’d like to have about
Then everyone can be happy
And I’m not the odd one out

©Marian Barker