Tag Archives: poems

Choices, Challenges And Champions

I remember the world when I was just five years old

The books that we read and the stories we were all told

Made me think that in my future a wife is all I’d be

Caring for a home and a mother of two or three

But the world was changing, by the time I was sixteen

Options now lay before me and I was super keen

Soon I was in steel toe-capped boots and a hard-hat

Digging groundworks or tiling roofs like an acrobat

I’m grateful to all those men who freely shared their skills

I learnt to use cement mixers and pneumatic drills

The men who trained me proved that they were of noble heart

Ensuring that a woman could feel she had a part

Though the work was tough, soon I’d acquired trades galore

But now I sensed within me a hunger for something more

I volunteered for construction projects near and far

Lusaka, Bucharest, Managua and Accra

I was assigned to teach women who had been abused

Their accounts of mistreatment left me far from amused

Travelling to other lands, meeting women everywhere

Who show courage and zeal in a world that is unfair

Empowering all women is still a global quest

Which will allow humanity to be at it’s best

We remember the girls who brought football home last year

In every town and village we heard a mighty cheer

We were celebrating not just winning a sports game

But opened doors, smashed glass ceilings, women in the frame!

That champion football squad now amplify the voice

Of women young and old fighting for a better choice

Parts of this world have made progress or so it would seem

Yet there are still many women who can only dream

They will have the chance for training and education

To escape cruelty, violence and deprivation

So please we urge re-focus on the clear rationale

Celebrating women here and international

Be it colleagues, friends, daughters, sisters, aunties or wife

Embrace equality – value women in your life!

This is a rhyme I came up with recently. I just wanted to mention that it is not for IWD – which seems to be a token or novelty to many, more of a PR opportunity than a decisive turning point. I wrote it for an online conference (webinar) that was all about educational programs for people who have been mistreated, often due to being financially dependent on their abusers. As you may well imagine, the vast majority of those enrolled in these programs are women.

I do not consider myself a “feminist”, but I do despise cruelty and violence, injustice and oppression. I am grateful that I have enjoyed freedom of choice in so many areas of my life. Being a mother and rearing children is a wonderful honour, yet in many lands this responsibility is forced upon women, often girls who are still children and have been effectively sold as brides. I am passionate about protecting women who are often denied choices, controlled by threats and violence, and who are viewed as inconsequential slaves.

The corporate entities who make a fuss over these international days – making pledges and putting on a show over their enlightened outlook – but then not keeping their word – I have a poor opinion of. Those who laugh about subjects like rape as if it were a joke – or think it is “manly” to belittle a woman or undermine her self-esteem – you simply do not deserve anything. If it were up to me, I would take everything from you and leave you destitute – which you are – you are pathetic, ignorant cowards without conscience. If you continue in your ways, you will have no future life prospects at all.

A Dubious Duo Dabbling In…Baking And Poetry!!

We now have a world exclusive for you, not even our special BAKE OFF judge Jeanne has seen this yet! I am a little scared myself! But in the spirit of fun – which is what this weekend is all about – here is something we hope will make you smile!

We have already featured three amazing WordPress poets this weekend:

Gentleman Dave (The Poet’s Kiss) – Recipe For Love Cake

Puman (paeansunpluggedblog ) – Love Is A Piece Of Cake

Kristian (Tales From The Mind Of Kristian) – Love And Cake

At very short notice, we found ourselves with a slight scheduling issue this weekend, and not knowing who we could ask at the very last minute to think up a poem for the BAKE OFF. Yet, wanting to keep to the plan of having a least two poems each day, with the clock ticking, a rather dubious duo teamed up to try to produce a poem – of sorts – to commemorate their baking adventures in the name of the WordPress community!

Yes…if you have not guessed already, Gary and Mel have ventured into the world of verse and between them have actually written a poem.! Please don’t look so scared! It’s not as terrible as I was expecting it to be when we set out. It even rhymes!

Gary and Hawklad were coming all the way down from Yorkshire for afternoon tea 
But when Mel looked in the fridge there was nothing but cabbage and an old piece of brie 
After rustling up some up some loose change and running down to the shops she  was all sweaty 
Her panic passed when she found all the ingredients for a caramel betty

But Mel would soon need to panic as they arrived with homemade weaponised baking 
Cream scones resembling hand grenades just handling would a dangerous undertaking 
An angry Nettle spongecake so full of attitude that it had tattoos and a pair of bovver boots 
And don’t mention the Soufflé with a half life of thousand years as it continues to pollute 

Red-faced Mel carved her congealed custard, and then offered her guests one lump or two 
Over burnt apple filling, a soggy bottom, and caramel like superglue 
While sampling each others cakes, they laughed and reminisced of baking memories in youth 
Until Mel turned to Gary and cried, "Your concrete cream scones have broken my front tooth!"  

So Gary’s fine baking went in the bin, Mel’s shattered  tooth was the final straw 
Time for Mel’s signature sponge cake, good job we had a pick axe and chainsaw 
So an afternoon of undercooked and burnt offerings, the only edible food, the cherries 
Which just goes to show, we all should have just stuck with Cookie Dough from Ben and Jerry’s 

Please don't take this personally Gary, I truly would not want this to sound mean 
But the next time we have an afternoon tea party, we really should invite Jeanne 
I think we both need to practice our kitchen skills, if we hope to improve our bakes 
And learn from other great bloggers to avoid injuring each other with our cakes

Yes….Gary and Mel have traversed from the world of baking into the world of poetry – scary isn’t it!!!!

Loving Tea and Cake Together Again!

It’s ten o’clock here in England, which means of course – poetry hour!! It is time for another of our very special poets who have penned wonderful poems inspired by THE 2021 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF FESTIVAL OF LOVE!

Yesterday, our special guest poets were:

Gentleman Dave (The Poet’s Kiss) – “Recipe For Love Cake

…and…

Puman (Paeansunpluggedblog) – “Love Is A Piece Of Cake

Yesterday, I somehow managed to link the wrong poem when we featured Puman as our special guest poet! I don’t know how I managed to make such a silly mistake! But please do visit the correct poem. Puman has really honoured us by penning this stunning poem for the BAKE OFF, and I do feel sad I let her down.

Please do visit their sites and read their wonderful heart warming poems!

Our next special guest poet is our dear friend Kristian, the creator of Tales From The Mind Of Kristian, who has penned a poem that really touched our hearts. What a tough time we have had as in so many parts of the world, we were protected those we love by observing stay at home mandates. There is no denying that it was challenging for so many of us. After many months of sacrifices, many of us have started to be able to enjoy the chance to meet together again.

Surely we will never take for granted the importance of being with our loved ones, sharing tea and cake with them, as well as lots of hugs!!

Kristian’s delightful poem “Love And Cake” is like the warmest hug! We love it. We are just sharing the first two lines with you here, because we would love you to visit Kristian’s site to read the entire poem!

It’s that time of year again

When thoughts turn to something tasty

LOVE AND CAKE

You can read the whole of Kristian’s charming poem “Love And Cake” by clicking the link below which will take you straight to his site:

https://talesfromthemindofkristian.wordpress.com/2021/08/20/love-and-cake-a-poem-for-bake-off/

We Have Fallen In Love Over Baking

In case you had not already noticed – ten o’clock is the official POETRY HOUR for THE 2021 GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF FESTIVAL OF LOVE!!! Yes that’s right, this weekend, every ten o’clock, morning and evening (GMT) we will be bringing to you one of our special guest poets that we are honoured to be allowed to feature.

We are so proud of our talented poets on WordPress. At ten o’clock this morning, we featured the wonderful “Recipe For Love Cake” from the romantic poet who can melt hearts Gentleman Dave, the creator of The Poet’s Kiss. If you missed his poem, please do take the chance to visit his site!

Our second special guest poet is our beloved Puman, the creator of Peaansunpluggedblog. Puman has written a poem that combines romance with baking in a way that will truly quicken your pulse! We are just sharing the first two lines of her poem “Love Is A Piece Of Cake“, because we would really love you to visit her site and read the entire poem for yourself!

My love, my love for you is such

whatever I may say, it’s  never too much!

I have sung many paeans to our love in the past

’tis time to renew vows for our love unsurpassed!

LOVE IS A PIECE OF CAKE

Here is the link that will take you directly to Puman’s site with her very romantic BAKE OFF poem!

https://paeansunpluggedblog.wordpress.com/2021/08/20/love-is-a-piece-of-cake/

A Recipe Everyone Needs To Try!

One of our favourite features of THE GREAT BLOGGERS’ BAKE OFF is the chance to introduce you to some very talented poets. WordPress is such a great platform for bloggers and writers to express their interests, their creativity, their passions, and poets share such beautiful work with us.

We invited some of the poets of WordPress who have already won our hearts to be our SPECIAL GUESTS on THE GREAT BLOGGERS BAKE OFF FESTIVAL OF LOVE. We told them this year’s theme was love….and we left it up to them to see what they came up with!

And….wow!!!

Wait to you see the poems we have this weekend!

Our first poet this weekend, is brand new to the BAKE OFF. We are super excited to be able to feature Gentleman Dave, the creator of The Poet’s Kiss. Dave writes very beautiful poetry about love and romance. We thought he would be perfect for this year’s BAKE OFF.

We were thrilled with Gentleman Dave’ poem, entitled “Recipe For Love Cake“. We are just sharing the first two lines with you here…

Preheat the heart

With kindness and humility…

– RECIPE FOR LOVE CAKE

…because we would love for you to visit The Poet’s Kiss for yourself to read the rest of this recipe that everybody needs to try! Click the link below and it will take you straight over to read Gentleman Dave’s beautiful BAKE OFF poem:

https://daonline.home.blog/2021/08/18/recipe-for-love-cake/

Heal Us

still control me.jpg

You still have power over me

Your glare sends shivers down my spine

From miles away you still haunt me

Though I’m not yours and you’re not mine

Please don’t let anger consume you

It only makes you look so weak

I would love to sit down with you

And listen to you as you speak

Can we heal this rift between us?

I always pray to God above

With the hope that He can heal us

For you, I still cling to this love

Not On The Same Page

Book, Read, Relax, Meadow, Book Pages

When you feel it’s so right

And it never tasted this fine

He fills up your life with joy

He makes your smiles shine

And your heart skips a beat

Every time you hear his name

And yet deep down you know

He just doesn’t feel the same

What do you do?  What do you do?

What do I do?

He just doesn’t feel the same

Comes close, makes me breathless

Holds tight, loves me reckless

Then he goes, he’ll come again

I don’t know when

I don’t know when

I would love, I could love, I should love every day of my life

He’ll shut me down, run away, hide away if I say the word wife

He makes my heart burn, lights up my flame

What a waste, what a shame, is it me that is to blame?

Is this the new, the normal way of lovers?

Only truly together when you’re both under the covers

Then each goes their way until the next time

I grew up thinking this was just a love crime

Nowadays is this just the way things have got to be?

A man in your life is no longer a monopoly

Is it the new love, to pretend you don’t see

That he sees no reason for loyalty?

What do I do? I’m so in love

He just doesn’t feel the same

Comes close, makes me breathless

Holds tight, loves me reckless

Then he goes, he’ll come again

I don’t know when

I don’t know when

What do I do?  I’m so in love

He just doesn’t feel the same

not on the same page

There Was Something In The Air That Night!

Valentine, Love, Romance, Silhouette, Couple

There was something in the air that night

The silence amplified every sound

He touched my hand, a spark shot through me

He drew me close, then span me around

Two smitten hearts were struck with lighting

That look of passion deep in his eyes

Declaring he was yearning for me

Breathless as my pulse began to rise

In his strong arms I felt so alive

He led me on quite a merry dance

Had me magnetised right to his side

Electric charging a sweet romance

lightining clouds
Image by O12 from Pixabay

This was in response to THE ELEMENTAL CHALLENGE hosted by Teresa aka The Haunted Wordsmith:

https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2019/04/05/elemental-writing-challenge-april-5/

Sitting Like A Queen

Buildings, Church, Town, Village, Houses

Beguiling kings, misleading nations

Sacred truths she has profaned

She has left millions confused and lost

Slowly her waters have drained

Sitting like a queen, thinking she is secure

Clothed in purple and scarlet,

Adorned with gold, precious gems and pearls

Yet condemned as a harlot

She’s be mourned by a commercial system

Who mined her every resource

She will not be saved by the one she has disgraced

When she is removed by force