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Category Archives: poetry

A Poem for our Times

A Poem for our Times

These are the first few verses and the last verse of Adrian Mitchell’s brilliant poem, Human Beings.  Do look at the whole of it here. 

HUMAN BEINGS

                look at your hands
your beautiful useful hands
you’re not an ape
you’re not a parrot
you’re not a slow loris
or a smart missile
you’re human

not british
not american
not israeli
not palestinian
you’re human

not catholic
not protestant
not muslim
not hindu
you’re human
………………………….

        look at all that life
            all that beauty
            you’re human
        they are human
        we are human
    let’s try to be human           
dance!
As a Humanist, this speaks to me very clearly.

 

 
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Posted by on September 24, 2026 in Humanism, Peace, philosophy, poetry, Postaday 2026

 

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Posy, View and A Poem

I visited a friend this afternoon and took a small posy of the last of our sweet-peas. They smelled gorgeous.

The view from W.s flat in Falmouth is absolutely  wonderful, an ever-changing seascape and cloudscape.

Today is the Autumn equinox and the official start of Autumn. The air certainly had that feel both early morning and this evening with some lovely warm sunshine in the middle.

Kim has given me permission to share his poems before but hasn’t seen my message today. I’m hoping permission will be on its way because posting his poem tomorrow won’t be the same…

 

P.S. I was, very kindly,  given permission!  Thanks, Kim.

 

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Sunflowers, A Poem and Birthdays

Unexpectedly, I had to miss singing today and it’s been a bit of a day. My lovely Mr S bought me some cheery sunflowers.

Here is a poem for you – And the Days Are Not Full Enough by Ezra Pound.

Today is the birthday of one of our twins. Her brother, born 9 minutes earlier, celebrated his birthday yesterday. Love you both xxx

 
 

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Harvest Swap, A Posy and A Poem

We pulled more Sweetcorn today and gave a couple to Sue-next-door in exchange for some of her beans grown on her allotment.

There was a neighbourhood wedding at the weekend, the whole event being in the garden and the field behind. Today our neighbour brought us one of the pretty  table jam jars of garden flowers.

Looking for a poem for today in my  “A Poet for Every Day of the Year, I found one that appealed to me under today’s date.‘What’s the Railroad to me?”,”I’ve included the introduction too as I really enjoyed learning about Thoreau.

 
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Posted by on August 31, 2026 in allotment, friendship, garden, nature, poetry

 

Tomatoes, Raspberries and A Poem

Tomatoes, Raspberries and A Poem

The tomatoes are ripening well and the tiny ones are like eating sweets!

The raspberries are also doing well, just enough in a day to make a delicious dessert.

Meringue shell with vanilla creme fraiche and our raspberries

The following short poem came my way today and I found it very moving.

Let us all lay the extra place……..

 
 

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Carrots, Berries and A Poem

Volunteer harvest on Tuesday was newly harvested carrots. We had some that evening, absolutely delicious and so much more carrotty than ones bought in shops!  Today I have grated some to make an American Spiced Carrot Cake and frozen it away for next Tuesday at Roots.

The berries in the front garden are beautifully bright red.

I love this poem and I’m surprised I haven’t posted it before. It’s the philosophy behind my blog, how extraordinary ordinary things are. I hope you enjoy it too.

 

 

 
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Posted by on August 20, 2026 in growing, nature, poetry, Postaday 2026

 

Six on Saturday – Golden Yellow and A Poem

Last week was all our white flowers and this week the golden orange hues have caught my eye. As we in Cornwall move into our 5th heatwave and a hosepipe ban, I don’t know how much longer the flowers will last. They have all been going over more quickly than usual already given we have had no real rain since early June, just a smidge of Cornish mizzle last week.
We’ll concentrate our watering, with watering cans,  on the food we are growing especially the tomatoes and sweetcorn and hope that the leeks, kale and kalettes will survive.  The autumn raspberries are looking very small and really need lots of rain…..and then sun!

Courgette flower

Orange Cosmos

Begonias in a chimney

These were seedlings I was given as volunteer harvest at Community Roots and I didn’t get the name.

California Poppies

Nearly 7′ Sunflower

And today, a very short, sweet poem by Emily Dickinson. I’m not sure that yellow is so rare in nature but like that the sunflower picture gives us blue too.

Nature rarer uses Yellow
Than another Hue.
Saves she all of that for Sunsets
Prodigal of Blue

Jim, over at Garden Ruminations, hosts  Six on Saturday. Pop over and in the comments, find so many delightful posts.

 

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Six on Saturday – White – and A Poem

I love white flowers in the garden. They lift dark corners and sometimes even catch the light of the moon.

Daisies

And a poem for you, White Flowers by Mary Oliver whose work I always find interesting.

if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls then please pop over to our host, Jim from Garden Ruminations where you find links to many more wonderful garden enthusiasts from all over the world.

 

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Six on Saturday – Food and A Poem

Six on Saturday – Food and A Poem

We gave up our allotment earlier this year and handed it on to a lovely young family who are having fun down there but we are still growing vegetables at home in our raised beds and in our new greenhouse.

The Sweetcorn is doing well, enjoying the heat we think. It’s very tall and there are a number of corn cobs developing with tassels beginning to show.

Sweet Corn and a volunteer Gladioli

Sweetcorn cob with tassels

We are growing the squash with the corn as I read about in Braiding Sweet Grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer who shares her knowledge of indigenous wisdom.

Patti Pan squash

The Curly Kale is doing well and somehow seems not to attract the Cabbage White Butterfly.

Curly Kale

The Kalettes are growing strongly and despite some caterpillar damage seem to be doing okay.

Kalette plants

We love Leeks.

Leeks

The Courgettes are very slow but we have had two so far and there are two more on the way.

Courgettes

As last week, if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls then please pop over to our host, Jim from Garden Ruminations where you find links to many more wonderful garden enthusiasts from all over the world.

In my clearing out, I came across a book I’ve not seen for a while, Medieval Gardens and thought this poem perfect for today’s blog:

Latin 9th century.
Walafrid-Strabo: Hortulus (De Cultura Hortorum)

 

 

 

 

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Passion Flower, Flower Boxes and A Poem

Passion Flower, Flower Boxes and A Poem

Walking along an alley in Penzance to the car park after yesterday’s talk at The Acorn, we saw a trellis full of Passion Flowers – such a beautiful and intricate bloom. Our plant is nowhere near blooming but we do have lots of buds.

Driving away we went past these colourful flower filled boxes.

I’ve long loved this little poem by Goethe. It is called  Song of the Traveller at Evening and was translated by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  It was in a little collection I had as a child.

It has been an indoor day for me again as the heatwave continues, 29C today, doing lots of reading!

 

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