National Poetry Day 2020
Poems submitted for National Poetry Day 2020 on the topic of Vision.
Vision
We live in a changing world.
More so than ever before.
Viewing a new scene every day.
A vision to see and explore.
Coronavirus takes over.
‘Closure’, this word springs to mind.
Families and friends missing contact.
And the lonely rely on the kind.
This vision lights up our days.
Mine have been enhanced by many.
But my thoughts go out for the needy,
And those deprived of any.
Again a vision brings hope.
As more stories spread happiness galore.
Just think of Sir Tom Moore’s achievement.
Who could ask for anything more?
Then we have NHS support to treasure.
A vision of success with no end.
So much good in our world of changes.
We must absorb the health of our friends.
Gwyneth Cleworth
Clouded sight,
Blurred, unclear,
Hazy horizon,
But../
When visualising,
A blue sky,
The mist clears,
And clarity emerges.
Kristin Challender
My Vision for the Future
A life without masks
A life without distancing
A life without separation
A life without quarantine
A life without absences
A life without loneliness
A life without apprehension
A life without sadness
A life without lockdown
A life with hugging
A life with kissing
A life with closeness
A life with one another
A life with loved ones
A life with family
A life with laughter
A life with dreams
My vision for our future
Linda Ashworth
My Vision
I have a vision to have
A quiet room
to do my creative writing
to create my new jigsaw
a noisy room to hear children play
or hear music playing
A loving husband to share
joy and sorrow
jokes and laughter
My family visiting
sharing anecdotes
or news for us to cherish
Grandchildren to
share hugs and stories
creating memories
drawing pictures
I hope that you have a vision to create
for your own future happiness and wellbeing
Linda Ashworth
Devoid of Vision
The world is full of lovely things
And lots of wonderful sights
Without them what would life be like?
No bright days or moonlit nights
No charming smile or cheeky grin
No sparkling eyes to recall
No endearing looks at all
No bursting bud or perfect rose
No well-trimmed lawn or petal fall
No garden treats, none at all
No pastures green or rolling downs
No country lane or trees so tall
No scenic beauty at all
No lark, robin or dainty wren
No blackbird that nests in the wall
No wild bird life, none at all
No misty moon or setting sun
No eclipse phase or stars that fall
No constellation at all
No butterfly or busy bee
No creatures be them great or small
No wildlife seen, none at all
No rippling sand or ebbing tide
No promenade or seafood stall
No coastline features at all
No village green or cricket match
No boundary line, bat or ball
No sports events, none at all
No noise, tis silent, no one’s there
No one answering to the call
No signs or response at all
Contemplate the unknown future
Sitting lonely in despair
Downhearted with no remedy
Does anyone really care
The five senses we were given
To help us all on life’s way
And should one be taken from us
God forbid that darkest day
So be sure to heed this message
You are privileged to see
But those devoid of vision
Require help from you and me
Eric W Tomlinson
MY CELLULITE
Mini fat stores
Of energy
Required to enable me
To continuously
Tirelessly
Support the spontaneous life
Of a toddler.
Thank you, cellulite.
You’re a bit like nose hairs…
Unsightly but important.
Leander Partington
Vision
We all have a vision of what the future holds,
It starts when we are choosing our career,
The studies we have to do, to achieve our aim,
And the effort that is needed to succeed,
Our progress in our chosen field, we chart each passing year,
And ambition is our vision and our guide,
We see the way ahead with some pitfalls and some dread,
And hope we will attain our stated goal,
We all view our world in such a personal way,
And to others it may seem we are off course,
But our views and path may change, after discussion with a friend,
And our future vision we may rearrange.
We may not achieve our ambition and our aim,
As we travel the path of life to our goal,
But we all do have a vision of where our journey has to end,
Let us hope that we achieved our aimed for goal.
Ted Morgan
The Bees in the Borage
They’re starry blue, my borage flowers,
A forest of them, dropping dew
Like sparks of light along the leaves.
The plants so rough, the flowers blue
As sky between the cloudy towers.
Blue is a colour loved by bees.
Borage is bustled all day long.
Two strange eyes see another world;
Three others keep them straight and strong,
Tucking the nectar round their knees.
How must it be to see the same
Plants moving in the summer breeze,
But differently? Secret stripes claim
Their perfect, alien sight, while we -
We just see glorious blue, and bees.
Carole Martin
Freefall
My mind’s in freefall stuck in writer’s block
With opaque thoughts I struggle to unlock
And of renewed vision I see no trace
Staring out the window into empty space.
I’ve looked for answers in the masters’ pens
Whose famous thoughts I dare not use again
As borrowing from Keats or Clare or Donne
Is to be frowned upon by everyone.
Creative vision is in short supply
And desperate scribblers seek it, as do I
With tried and tested theory every day
To keep those empty white pages at bay.
I’ve talked about life’s journeys over time
The roads not taken – usually mine
The memorable friendships when we’re young
And familial love that went unsung.
The horrors of man’s war-torn fallacies
And humanitarian tragedies –
Sarajevo, Auschwitz and Belsen too
Aleppo, Mosil – could be me and you.
I’ve enthused on nature outside my door
The river and the woods and birds that soar
Out across the water under the trees
Where Herons and Geese glide along the breeze.
I’ve reflected on love, the heart and soul
Crazed by passion and out of our control –
The ardour and anguish and mortal sins,
Longing and torment where nobody wins.
I’ve thought about the reaper at my gate –
A lifetime gone, some chances all too late
The sick and the weary clinging to time –
Redemption or respite, seeking a sign.
I’ve mused about life’s meaning for us all
How where we all came from keeps us enthralled
Out beyond the planets amongst the stars
Hoping for answers coming from afar.
I’ve exhausted most subjects now it seems
Trawling the possible with untried themes
But my mind’s still in freefall – writer’s block
And a total lack of vision I’m unable to unlock.
Ian Hill