Featured Poem
Poetry is very individual, in content, format and style, but all good poems evoke an emotion or retort of some kind. They are best when they reflect the free spirit of the writer.
On this page, I hope to illustrate a wide range of poetic licence, drawn from my own personal writings, from poems I admire, or from contributions sent in by anybody visiting this page. If you have a poem – the shorter the better - you would like to share, please send it to me via the contact page. If you’d like to give the context of the poem then please do that too.
The Times newspaper reported an experimental research study under the headline 'Healthy dose of optimism could stop you feeling ill' on Tuesday 20 January 2025. This reminded me of a frivolous poem on a similar theme included in Everyday Tales of Older Women in their Prime. It is reproduced below.
Optimism
‘How you can live longer’ the headline read
She’d skip the dull news and peruse this instead
What would the latest bit of advice say
And would it be something that she could obey
Probably strategies for eating better and less
Sleeping more exercising and reducing stress
So it was with some surprise that she found
The requirement was actually more profound
It might lead to the same healthy conduct
But was based on a much broader construct
Optimism it heralded as the behavioural trait
That could often greater longevity create
The notion was attractive she was keen to try
To see if she could natural pessimism defy
She’d need to change the way she conceived
And see half empty cups as half full she believed
Recognizing too the silver linings behind clouds
And seeking out the smiling faces in crowds
She knew she would need to look the part
And continually smiling was a good start
Her vocabulary too she did transform
‘Wonderful’ and ‘fantastic’ becoming the norm
Her family remarked on her new found zeal
Secretly wondering what it might conceal
It went as well as could be hoped for a while
Even though she felt permanently on trial
And there was only so long she could pretend
That she could easily her behaviour amend
Black cats magpies and the number thirteen
Were constantly threatening to intervene
Much more comfortable with a measure of gloom
And a certain respect for the dangers that loom
She was used to these feelings in a strange sort of way
And they did her a modus vivendi convey
So at last she conceded with some dismay
She‘d need another option her demise to delay
She couldn’t handle optimism it was clear
Looking on the bright side wasn’t for her
Worrying however did her avidly engage
And would hopefully conserve her to a ripe old age