Powerful Poem

 Powerful.. Joshua Dyer (aged 14) was tasked at school to write a poem for Remembrance Day. An hour later (without any help) he produced this..

ONE THOUSAND MEN ARE WALKING

One thousand men are walking

Walking side by side

Singing songs from home

The spirit as their guide

They walk toward the light milord,

they walk towards the sun

they smoke and laugh and smile together

no foes to outrun.

These men live on forever

in the hearts of those they saved

a nation truly grateful

for the path of peace they paved.

They march as friends and comrades

but they do not march for war

step closer to salvation

a tranquil steady corps

the meadows lit with golden beams

a beacon for the brave

the emerald grass untrampled

a reward for what they gave.

They dream of those they left behind

and know they dream of them

forever in those poppy fields

there walks one thousand men

Joshua Dyer 2019 (aged 14)

Lest we forget

This has to be shared. An incredible poem from 14 year old Joshua Dyer.

Credits: vitória Jane

Dream Holiday

My Dream Holiday

I have been fortunate in my life. I have visited many countries and holidayed in cities and seaside towns. When I was bored with lying on the beach and too afraid of cold water to swim in the sea I went on courses. I always planned to go travelling when I retired but after I moved to Brittany my plans changed. I was happy to explore Brittany which is a beautiful and interesting place.

Now back in the UK I do not drive so even outings are limited to public transport.

I am quite happy staying at home, reading, writing and painting. My Grandson provided me with a large screen TV with Amazon Prime so that I could watch tennis. I am passionate about tennis. Well to be more precise I am passionate about Rafael Nadal.

When I was in Brittany I used to watch tennis at the house of a very good friend Claudie. Now I am here in the Uk and she has moved to Pau near Biarritz.

So my dream holiday begins there.

I will take a plane to Biarritz and Claudie will meet me there. We will spend a week in a luxury hotel. Claudie will show me the best and most exciting places to see and enjoy in Biaritz. Next we will fly together to Paris after spending a few days exploring, my friend Sylvaine who lives near Paris will meet us to take us to her house which is in an amazing location on the edge of a forest.

Next, the three of us will return to Paris for the Roland Garros tennis Grand Slam. Both Sylvaine and Claudie are tennis fans. We will have tickets for every day of the two weeks duration of the tournament and of course we will be staying in a luxury hotel.

After the final we will visit the Eiffel tower and take the lift to the restaurant at the top for dinner. Then we will visit my favourite museums and art galleries in Paris. The Musee d'Orsay is my favourite so that will be on the top of the list. Next will be Rodin's Museum and Gallery. We will also spend a day in Monmartre.

Of course every day we will eat breakfast, lunch and dinner in the best restaurants and drink the finest wine and perhaps champagne.

Moving on from Paris our next destination will be to London and Wimbledon. We can either fly to Gatwick and spend a day with my son and his wife. He lives seven miles from Gatwick or we could take to the Eurostar to St Pancras. We will spend a few days in London in a luxury hotel. We will visit the National Gallery , Tate Modern and Tate Britain. Then sated with art it will be off to Wimbledon for two weeks. After the final we will spend at least two days in a spa because I think we will need a rest.

I will take the train back to Stoke, Claudie will fly back to Biaritz and Sylvaine to Paris.

The Door

 

The Door

I am going to be late for my Dr's appointment. I did want to go to the Travel Agent's too. I'll ring the Doctor to apologise. There's a phone box. This door is heavy. I push harder, it opens, I fall in. Gosh it's dark in here.

"Who are you?" says a voice from the shadows.

Victoria Richards. I am in a terrible rush. The train was late. I want to make a phone call. I was going to book a holiday and I have an appointment for a blood test. Are you a doctor--

"Yes, I am The Doctor."

Yes, but doctor who.

"That is correct. I am Doctor Who."

Don't joke. I need to make a phone call.

"Of course, I can help you with your phone call and travel needs. Would you like interplanetary travel or time travel. I can arrange everything for you."

Travel? So, it's not a phone box or the Dr's.

I walk forward towards a light, -- no it can't be. It looks like the control panel of a plane so many flashing lights and screens.

The Doctor says, "You are my dear on the Star Ship Enterprise."

"That's OK then." I say to myself. "Where else would I be on a Monday morning on the way to the doctors."

I must have said the last bit out loud because The Doctor speaks again.

"That's correct my dear. The Doctor is here. I think you mentioned a blood test."

What? No. Let me get out of here. I want to open the door.

The door opens automatically. I run out into blinding sunlight and bump into a passer-by.

"Sorry, sorry, so sorry."

"No harm done. Now look where you are going in the future."

Pacifique

 

Que pensez-vous lorsque vous entendez "le Pacifique"?

Dans les années quatre-vingt, j'étais membre du mouvement anti-nucléaire. J'étais membre de plusieurs groupes, mais le plus important était le groupe intitulé «Femmes travaillant pour un Pacifique indépendant et pacifique». Une des choses que le groupe a fait était d'amener 9 femmes des îles du Pacifique en Angleterre.

Il y a eu une grande réunion à la mairie de Manchester où les 9 femmes nous ont raconté des histoires, des histoires horribles. Ils ont parlé des résultats que les essais nucléaires et l'immersion avaient faits sur les peuples. Ils ont tous posé la même question. Pourquoi vous, en Europe, ne saviez pas ce qui se passait? Cela faisait 40 ans

Le groupe a produit une vidéo et un diaporama intitulé "Nightmare in Paradise". J'avais un diaporama et je donnais des conférences et montrais les diapositives. C'était toujours difficile de le faire car je l'ai trouvé très émotif et j'ai dû essayer de ne pas pleurer parce que les effets du test étaient si horribles.

Vous verrez sur la carte qu'il y a des centaines d'îles. Cela semble autant que des étoiles dans le ciel. Mais la population comparée au reste du monde est petite.

Le pire et le plus triste, c'est que je crois que cela continue aujourd'hui. Près de 40 ans plus tard.

Rio

 

As I walk past an Italian Supermarket I wonder where I am. Yesterday in a supermarket I heard Robbie Williams singing angels. I spent the morning in an internet cafe. Surrounded by skyscraper flats and hotels it could be anywhere in the world. The noise of the traffic is deafening and fatiguing. A barefooted youth passes me carrying a surf board. I follow the youth. Is he going to the beach? No he's not so I change direction hoping to reach the beach and a more peaceful space. I glimpse the sea and quicken my steps. I wait 5 mins to cross the road. When I reach the beach the noise of the traffic beats the sound of the crashing waves. I wish I was a surfer at least I could escape the thundering traffic.

From hunger I almost enter a McDonald's but I opt instead for a restaurant. I take a table outside. Whilst eating my meal I watch a shoeless old man pass amidst the heavy traffic. He is pushing a handcart laden with rubbish. In the opposite direction a horse and cart driven by two young men whom I suspect would have been in school in many other parts of the world pass by. The cart is also full of rubbish.  

I back inside and order hot Amarillo, delicious. I look outside. It is raining again. It has rained for two weeks-since I arrived. I was told to bring warm weather clothes, beach clothes. I have spent one afternoon on the beach. The waves are too big to risk swimming and the under current grazes and bruises ones body as it drags one over the coarse sand.

I have bought lots of traditional rubbish but never expected that I would have to buy an umbrella.

 

Time Time Time

 

Leaving the doctor's surgery Alice knew she was fortunate that he had made time to see her. She knew that she didn't have much time today. Now she must use her time well.

'However', she thought, ' there is a lot of time before the train is due.' She wondered if it would be on time today because it was usually late. Alice decided to take time walking slowly to the station.

She passed several homeless people sitting on the pavement outside the station. ' None of them have any time to give, they are all rushing for a train,' she heard one of them say.

Alice reached in her pocket and took out the pound coin she kept for the supermarket trolly and threw it into the open violin case saying ' I have enough time today. In fact,' she said taking time to open her hand bag and finding her purse she took out a £5 note . 'I have more than enough time'.

Continuing her journey to the station she remembered that there was a book shop on the station. 'Great ' she mused. 'Book shops are always a good way to kill time. It will be time well spent too.'

At the station, in the crowd of travellers, she felt a hand on her arm. 'Do you have time to hear about Jesus? It will only take a few minutes. He can be with you for all time'.

Alice slowly lifted the hand away saying ' Sorry, today is not a good time.' and she walked quickly away and into the bookshop.

She walked around the shop taking time to read the titles. 'I won't have time to read a book on the train,' she thought. 'But what about a newspaper. Certainly not the The Times. It takes too long to read that. Along time ago I used to buy the Sunday Times. She gave it up because She didn't have time to read it all. Now a magazine would fit the bill. What about 'Time Out' .

War Time Memories

 

War Time Memories

I don't remember containers for waste food for chickens but I do remember "pig bins" in the street. This was during the war of course and I think for a few years after. Also in the street were air raid shelters. Huge concrete things. I can't remember them having doors but just door sized holes.

We, the kids, used to use them as play grounds. My memory of playing hospitals in them is very vivid. The beds were made out of house bricks. Not comfortable as you may imagine. We were all assigned roles, nurses, doctors and patients. I opted to be a patient but refused to lie on a brick bed. But you are a patient you have to lie in bed they said. In my ignorance I didn't know what the word patient meant but I though it sounded much more interesting than doctor or nurse.

I can't remember ever spending a night in a communal shelter. Oh no. We had a private shelter in the back garden. The council gave grants to people to build shelters. So armed with a plan and instructions my father who couldn't be described as a handy man set to. In spite of the jibes and laughter of the neighbours he built a very credible edifice which he furnished with bunk beds for all our family of six. On the first night of an air raid there was standing room only. The scoffing neighbours seemed to have no shame in packing into our shelter. I remember being held in my mother's arms as she stood unable to even sit down.