Tie a red ribbon in her hair

A change of day
           a change of colour
a change of sky
           billowing white
and grey clouds
           swept along
on a brisk wind
           I see magpies
hopping onto
           the garden wall

I never saw
           an overweight magpie
nor one underfed
           I wonder how they do it
feeding and playing all day
           in their handsome uniforms

On grey days
           the air is heavier
it can weigh on the heart
           if you let it
so
           best to be active
and not sit at home
           counting the hours
until the next dawn
           Out and about
you may meet a kind soul
           with a warm heart
and a willing disposition
           and if you do so
tie a red ribbon in her hair
           to celebrate and
to let the whole world know
           that she is yours

John Lyons

Notes from my window

Green upon green upon green
           this skyline filled with mature
oak and elm and horse chestnut
           and hazel and birch and yew

I admire the chiaroscuro
           the shifting shades of colour
as the light plays upon the foliage
           This is ancient woodland
deep-rooted in the hillside
           tightly packed to deliver
strength in numbers
           when storm winds blow

and within its shadows
           a safe haven for all manner
of creatures : for chiffchaffs
           and lesser spotted woodpeckers
and for bats and owls
           and foxes who fill
the night air with their cries
           for insect life that barely sees
the light of day
           for bluebells and wild garlic
for lily-of-the-valley
           for primrose and wood anemone
for pre-historic ferns
           and creeping ivies

here where light
           is transformed into life
here where we once walked
           hand in hand in love

John Lyons

A loving tongue

She saw that breakfast
           could be a loving tongue
and that eggs and salmon
           and coffee were all welcome
at the table and that silence
           was often a favoured guest
and that imitation
           was the enemy of delight

Freshness in a jar
           or honey poured
from a spoon
           it should all be a matter
of choice determined
           by one or the other

The porcelain egg cups
           were from Cannes
and decorated
           in the Provençal style
with pretty blueberries
           and the only custom
at this hour was
           the kindness of leisure
or perhaps vice versa
           because the heart neglects
nothing
           no detail is too small
or too insignificant
           where love is present

So while everything changes
           the language remains the same
and each moment is
           an affectionate occasion

John Lyons