Tooth and Claw

TOOTH AND CLAW

Using all the words in blue

It seemed so peaceful in the garden;

The plants were waving to and fro,

Slightly agitated by the breezes

That gently, very gently, blew.

But then I saw, on television,

A time-lapse shot of the self-same scene!

And I was completely gob-smacked

The garden was certainly not serene!

A sudden rustle, a sudden spasm,

An almost bursting through!

The hurl of a tendril at another;

The clench of a little stem or two!

Filmed as a time- lapse all seemed rapid.......

Rampant ego was what I saw.

Every bush and plant determined!

Nature red in tooth and claw.

Reach the sunlight! Find your own place!

Nature insisted, they obeyed.

It was  a battle mean and bloody

All played  out in a leafy glade!

What had seemed spacious, calm and peaceful

Was the scene of a fight to the death!

In this rare footage I had witnessed

Foliage breathing its final breath !

What an enigma! Human beings

Keep on repeating 'We must have peace!'

But if Nature itself is bent on warfare

There's no possible chance that wars will cease.

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A HINT OF TRUTH

It's just a throwaway line, that's meant to make us laugh,

And yet a hint of truth is there as well.

Pretending we don't care is often the way to go

If someone makes our life a living hell.

A bully only enjoys his 'craft' if he can get 'results'

A happy smile can turn his wrath away.

Pretending not to care is a weapon of defence

So we can learn to cope another day.

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PS

Rebecca and Brian bought Greg's boys a water-slide for Christmas. Here they are, ready to enjoy it.

And I went with Greg to visit his next-year school today. I was very impressed with the size of the classroom, but it certainly needs beautifying. Harry played on the computer as we chatted.

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brebry@gmail.com