There is no miller now
No one to pray for wind,
The choking dust
Long gone in vacuum cleaner-bags
Pylon lines now grind the corn
In factories miles away.

The baker down the road
Now gone,another in his place,
Stainless steel and 'lectric clocks
Bake bread in clinical  perfection
Sold in plastic bags.......
A quid or more a loaf.

The sea the same as anywhere
Rough at times, now gentle,
Pushes hard against the shore
Nearer every year,slow, near.
Innocent, knows not what it does
We watch, is all we can.

But still the wind-mill stands
Working hard as ever...
Wedding guests and happy couples
Park their cars where horses chewed at hay,
Laughing enter, kiss the bride
And sleep where corn was ground.

We had not walked our wood
For ten long days.
When last we came
The ferns were shy pale green,unsure,
Now bold they brushed against my legs
Soaked my shoes in dew,
My trousers too were wet,
The sky was blue,unhindered
Save for two white clouds
Fading in the morning sun.
Forecast....... sunny hot.

I did not pass the hut this time
Jack, impatient would not wait
Reluctant,went ahead.
I stepped inside.........
There is no door,
(I've told you that before)
What was a door is on the floor
A step to let me in.

The silence in the hut
Was not as in the wood,
(Its sea-shell gentle hiss
Breathing in the ear)
The tone was changed,
Somehow back in time.
Through the unglazed window
I saw dark clouds.
There was no wind that day
But the walls were shaken
I looked around the room
Everything in place.......
The fire-grate on the narrow wall,
Still there.......The corner to the right.
Cobweb veils across the ceiling.
Felt cold,uneasy,did not belong.
My day was gone........
.......................
It was then I saw them,
Heard them hold their breath.
An evening tryst.........
Turning quickly, said goodnight,
Back to the morning sun.

Who they were I did not know
But tried a guess.
Lovers,many years ago?
How had they met?
A village dance perhaps?
Across a bar and lousy war-time bitter?
Slipped out"Won't be late "she said.
Jean her name? .....perhaps
A ploughman's daughter?
Could have been.......
Eighteen,newly widowed,
Conscript William... older...
Dead and all their dreams.
"We regret" it said.
The telegram screwed up
On the kitchen floor.....
Him?....A William too,
But Bill for short.
A gunner in an aircraft's tail
Far from home,America.
Both scared by the plight of war.

The broken door was then in place
They closed it shut and quiet
In the corner by the hearth
They leaned the steel clad wall,
They needed each and took..
And did what lovers always do
When wearing heavy coats.

I walked away along the path,
Jack in front as usual.
Bluebells ,campions,nettles,brambles,
Said hello in babel voices
And so we went,as always.

That night we went again,
But did not stop this time
In case they'd call again
(I think I would...
And so would you !)
Whistled Jack into the car
Drove down the lane
Pulled in the car-park lot
Leaned the bar
The same........
Said hello to William
Birthday-boy today.
Named after Dad he said
Killed in the war,
Mum never remarried........
I looked at Jean (she's often there)
Grey upright and handsome
How old?
We never ask,does not seem polite.

Where had I been she asked
"In Tranter's wood, with Jack"
"Ah"
"You know the place"?
" Yes I know the place"
"The hut still there"?
"Yes I often look inside,"
"The cast-iron hearth still there "
 "Cracked, but the walls are firm and safe"
"I bet there are tales to tell"
She said no more...........
But looked me in the eye
She knew I'd guessed.
I felt ashamed,
Until she smiled.........
Cast off the grey and wrinkles
Her golden youth returned
The heavy years of toil cast off
Her breasts now firm;
She was in his arms again,
Let me share the joy,
Let me share the secret
Only we could know.

Listen! eavesdrop on the blackbird songs
See them love and feed their brood,
Leaves whispering in the breeze
Here is space and spare,time for thought
Rainbow choice,gold and green,
Wind blown songs that fade
'Though never die but join the library
Where,stored in alphabet and order
A million years from now,
Share their place with other sounds
Eroica, Beatitude,ranting tyrant
And mundane BBC

Deep in the wood (a remnant of the chase)
Stillness lets us hear ourselves......
Lud- dub,lub-dub of healthy hearts
Left right,left right,the feet reply....
Slow ...predictable.........
Room to walk.....to dream.....
No barging rushing crowds
No false "sorry sirs"
Whose fault was it anyway?

The world is not a crowded place
True we crush each other in the train
Because we will not take another route
But here there's room....
Grasses touching in the lawn,
But having space enough
Make way for dandelion clock,
And timeless daisy.

We came to walk and talk
Recreate..think and rest awhile..
To leave behind
The din of making money,
The gaudy Coke
Three for two, or two for one
Gum-strewn pavement slabs,
Take-away,throw-away
And eat-out shops.....

I walk the lanes and city streets,
See golden flowers everywhere,
Long stems in country lanes,
No taller than the grass
Waving in the breeze
Short in tarmac pavement.

Changeless flower
No one to spoil the golden head
No orange lips,as with the daffodil
No silly names like "Chorus Girl"
On plastic packets in the shop
Wild-child of nature,
Taraxacum for ever.

Composite and penny -round
Perfect in the rain
Golden now and ever.
Sportsmen with their clubs and bats,
Studded boots and stinking vests
Blame you for the errant ball
And blackened eye.

As children  home from school
We blew away our time,
Destroyed that perfect symmetry,
Scorned to take it home to Mum
For fear you wet the bed.
Cut the stem, it makes a whistle,
Take a root and you have coffee,
Suck the honey from the flower
Rosette leaves in salad
Antidote for port.

Today it shines for us,
(At least for those who look)
Yellow gold and willing,
Friendly with the tiny daisy,
Close as salt and pepper.

The silver trumpet,
With golden sound,
Has lost its tongue
No more double rasps,
Laughter in the tunes.
Among the greats
You took us with you.

You would not want to go,
You had a lot to do,
A thousand times one thousand,
We knew how old you were
But none believed
The Stars would take you from us.

We shall all remember,
You made life such fun,
I smiled this morning,at the news,
It seemed the proper thing to do.
I'll have time to cry
On Monday nights at six,
Try to fill those thirty minutes.
You were there for ever,
Eternity much less.