19 Feb 2024 2 Comments
in family, painting with words, photo, poem, Poet, Poetry, wordsmith Tags: family, Jemverse, painting with words, passing, poem, poet, Poetry, poetry blog, rhyme, wordsmithing, writing poetry
Half a century since your passing
can't fathom it's that long
fifty years ago today
since the fading of your song
Pops, I have outlived you
but never is a day
when you don't cross my thoughts
in your own special way
So here upon the nineteenth
I remember it each year
You've been gone a long, long time
but I wish you were still here
©Jemverse
Photo – My Pops. My younger brother Charles pushing. Me in the blazer. Pops passed aged 39 on 19 February 1974.
18 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in family, Friends, Happiness, healing, Life, painting with words, poem, Poet, Poetry, wordsmith Tags: family, Jemverse, normal, painting with words, poem, poet, Poetry, poetry blog, pub, rhyme, sing, wordsmithing, writing poetry
Back to the Buckingham, freedom at last
it's good to be normal for a bit of a blast
Alcohol zero of course as the pills
don't mix too well with my ails and my ills
But this new trusty steed, my blue wheelchair
and the feeling better got me back there
with friends and family, it's a marvellous thing
as life and normal return and we sing
©Jemverse
20 Jan 2024 3 Comments
in cancer, family, healing, Life, Love, painting with words, poem, Poet, Poetry, wordsmith Tags: children, family, healing, Jemverse, love, painting with words, poem, poet, Poetry, poetry blog, rhyme, verse, wordsmithing, writing poetry
Soft words of comfort I heard from left field
with Emily's hand there in mine
Her voice was a rest
when not at my best
So I knew things would work out just fine
Ed's tower of strength, a shoulder to lean on
metaphorically, physically too
Gave me a strength
which I felt at some length
when I needed it most to imbue
The wisdom of years way beyond her youth
Considerate, firm, erudite
From Bezza to me
in my dark hours of need
Were particularly welcome at night
And Grace's care, unreserved and complete
meant more than I have words to say
The love of my child
unique, reconciled
is replete when you know it each day
Twelve weeks now passed since everything changed
and our uncertain future began
have been doable just
with the love, care and trust
which my children have in their gameplan
©Jemverse
Photo – Bezza Croucher
06 Jan 2024 1 Comment
in cancer, family, Life, painting with words, poem, Poet, Poetry, Sea, sun, wordsmith Tags: family, hope, Jemverse, painting with words, poem, poet, Poetry, poetry blog, promise, rhyme, verse, wordsmithing, writing poetry
Bezza and me, the sea and the sun
looking out to horizon as noontide is done
synonymous here of the New Year begun
The promise of hope, it is here
The sea all a-silver, precious and new
captured as both of us take in the view
and embrace a bright future bequeathed to the few
The promise of hope, it is here
It's a picture of promise this New Year we hold
as we face the new future steadfast and bold
and know in our hearts of the message that's told
The promise of hope, it is here
©Jemverse
Photo – my youngest daughter, Bezza and me, Brighton seafront, end of 2023.
03 Jan 2024 Leave a comment
in family, Life, Love, painting with words, photo, poem, Poet, Poetry, Sussex, wordsmith Tags: care, family, freedom, Jemverse, love, painting with words, poem, poet, Poetry, poetry blog, rhyme, verse, wordsmithing, writing poetry
Tables were turned
as once I pushed her
But on Boxing Day Brighton
to Grace I deferred
Temporary though
this disablement
as out of this chair
is my firm intent
Still, amusing with
Grace pushing me
as the opposite once
in her pram you'd see
Role reversal
the reliance I need
But their love and care
means I am here freed
©Jemverse
Photo – Grace pushing me in my wheelchair on Brighton’s Palace Pier, Boxing Day 2023
15 Dec 2023 2 Comments
in Beach, cancer, family, Happiness, healing, Life, painting with words, poem, Poet, Poetry, Sea, wordsmith Tags: beach, cancer, family, healing, Jemverse, painting with words, poem, poet, Poetry, poetry blog, rhyme, sea, verse, wordsmithing, writing poetry
To Bracklesham Bay, the star attraction
six of us came for a distraction
Four days to take our minds away
from the cancer here to stay
Pebbles gave us that in spades
a perfect weekend for us made
Walks on the beach for fossils found
Hagstones and driftwood to sea sound
And those waves when pounding on the shore
were such a calming voice for more
Making for a special time
when we six left all feeling fine
Thank you Pebbles, you have provided
all we'd hoped for and confided
Memories forged of happy times
which we will treasure in our minds
©Jemverse
Photo – Bezza Croucher
‘Pebbles’ was the name of the Air B&B at Bracklesham Bay
25 Nov 2023 1 Comment
in Beach, family, healing, painting with words, poem, Poet, Poetry, Sea, wordsmith Tags: beach, cancer, family, happinness, Jemverse, painting with words, poem, poet, Poetry, poetry blog, rhyme, sea, wordsmithing, writing poetry
We're at Bracklesham Bay for a few days respite all of the Crouchers and me In a house with a garden onto the beach bringing all of us close to the sea It's fantastic for all but cathartic for me as this cancer needs a distraction and here with the promise the ocean will bring there is confidence here of that action
©Jemverse
05 Nov 2023 2 Comments
in family, Friends, Love, painting with words, photo, poem, Poet, Poetry, wordsmith Tags: family, Jemverse, life, love, painting with words, poem, poet, Poetry, poetry blog, rhyme, wordsmithing, writing poetry
This time of life, stability my equilibrium is here for me, my family I love them, every one Supportive, loving, ever there they're everything I need there for me, as I for them in all to intercede
©Jemverse
30 Sep 2023 3 Comments
in family, Life, Love, painting with words, poem, Poet, Poetry, wordsmith Tags: family, Jemverse, life, love, marriage, painting with words, poem, poet, Poetry, poetry blog, rhyme, wordsmithing, writing poetry
It's the last day of September Twenty twenty-three and the day of a new marriage of our daughter Grace to Lee A day of new beginnings with our seventh family member which each year on 30/9 us Beans will all remember So here's a toast, the first of many on this very special day to Grace and Lee for happiness to speed you on your way
©Jemverse
20 Sep 2023 4 Comments
in Creative Writing, family, Life, painting with words, poem, Poet, Poetry, poetry blog, series, wordsmith Tags: family, Jemverse, life, painting with words, poem, poet, Poetry, poetry blog, rhyme, time, verse, wordsmithing, writing poetry
Born in the fifties, baby boom years A child of the sixties, scuffed knees and tears A teen in the seventies, met Sal, fell in love and at the end of the decade, wed the above Brought a house in the eighties, two offspring we saw and then in the nineties, along came two more Watched the i2k clock at the Millennium turn and nothing stopped working, we were quite pleased to learn A new century turned and into the noughties as we left a decade behind and entered our forties Twenty-ten came and went, the best years of our lives then we found we were fifty, well what a surprise The teenies (inevitable) came to an end with first thought of pensions on which to depend And here in the twenties we'll soon be retired so perhaps we'll go backwards, rekindle 'inspired' We have decades to come and look forward to yet with more pleasure to come the older we get
©Jemverse
[Decades was first posted in December 2016 and revised (slightly) today]
Photo – Sally Croucher
Jemverse 