Spring

Spring

The miracle of Spring is upon us,

The anemones smile from their lairs;

The daises too make a carpet of white

In this countryside of ours.

Snow in the mountains glistens,

The low sun casts its delight;

Winter is slowly stepping aside,

Spring has put it to flight.

The gold of the buttercup flashes,

Birds find their voices again.

The grass on the roadside awakens

And bulbs come alive where they've lain.

The daffodils stand up and trumpet,

The snowdrops swing to the tune,

The crocus peeps out from its slumber;

Summer is coming soon!

Then let us enjoy the wonder's reborn,

When each season tells its own story;

Give a special thought to the coming of Spring

That awakens nature in all of her glory.

JJW

March 2013

The first and fourth photos were taken near a little historical village called Kayakoy, near Fethiye, last Sunday (10th), a family enjoying the experience and a young lady with the ever-present mobile phone!. The second was taken in the suburbs of Fethiye near where I live from time to time and shows the Golgeli Mountains in the background that rise to about 8,000 feet. The third was by the roadside near Kayakoy. Camera used: Nikon Coolpix L310. Handy for an amateur like me!

Toothy the Tortoise

Toothy the Tortoise

 

When Toothy the tortoise went for a walk

Down to the shops in his street;

Everyone stared and started to talk,

All the girls said, "Isn't he sweet!"

 

Toothy had plans to make himself pretty,

There was no one he was going to tell;

He had a shoemaker friend in a shop in the city

Who had agreed to polish his shell.

 

He paused at the kerb where pedestrians stood

And waited 'till the red man turned green,

Then he scurried across the fairly wide road.

"That's the quickest little tortoise I've seen!"

 

Said a man who had watched as Toothy went past,

Quite surprised at Toothy's great scurry;

But Toothy knew why he was going so fast,

His friend had said he needed to hurry

 

Because the polish he'd made to start off the job

Was a mixture he needed to boil.

As it hubbled and bubbled away on the hob

He added some raw linceed oil.

 

At last Toothy arrived at the door of the place

And he smelled that mixture so sweet.

He was tired from running, it wasn't his pace

But worth it to receive such a treat.

 

"Get down on that bed I've specially made,

Face down and lie on your tummy!"

"Your shell I see has started to fade

But I'll make it all bright and sunny".

 

Said the Shoemaker before he started to scrub

With a brush to take off the grime.

Then he took a soft cloth and gave it a rub

And the shell then started to shine.

 

He then took his mixture and with a soft brush

He deftly painted the shell.

He said, "The secret is that I must never rush,

So my mixture gives off a nice smell".

 

When he had finished and it had started to dry

The shell glistened and gleamed in the light.

Toothy could feel the change and knew why

His home was now shiny and bright.

 

He said the the shoemaker, "You're ever so kind

To help a small creature like me".

"It's my job!" Said the shoemaker, "And you never mind,

What's more I did it for free!"

 

Toothy climbed down, put his feet on the floor,

Said, "I'll never forget you for this".

"If I can't pay you money before I walk out the door,

At least let me give you a kiss!"

 

The shoemaker just laughed 'till his eyes filled with tears;

"A kiss from a tortoise! Thats funny!"

"It's the very best payment I've had in years -

And worth loads of anyone's money".

 

"But wait just a minute, I know you've come far,

Just to get here was a long way to roam".

"I'll shut up my shop and you'll get into my car

And I'll drive you back to you're home".

 

It was one happy tortoise who slept that same night

To dream of that shoemaker's dell;

He had a smile on his face as he turned out the light,

And said a prayer for the shoemaker as well.

 

 

 

 

Diplomacy

Diplomacy

 

So Kerry's come to Turkey to meet with Erdogan,

Then he should sit and listen and learn things when he can.

He should learn about the culture and not decide in haste

To take on any issue before he's had a taste

Of what is meant by friendship in these countries of Islam;

Look beyond the conflicts and he will see that to a man

There's an extended hand of welcome, it's basic to the creed,

And there's an inbuilt sense of duty to serve a stranger's need.

Its not a sign of weakness but a strength that they all show;

So he should take care to recognise what you reap is what you sow.