29th January 2026 • The HERALD • Page 77 v INDEPENDENT, LOCAL AND PROUD v Poets Corner Love Meant To Be by David K Wilson© I love her she’s beautiful She means the whole world to me I’d do anything for her It’s a love meant to be We met for the first time Just three years ago It was love instantaneous My heart told me so She looked quite wonderful In her dress of pure white And she came back to my place We were together all night Now we tease one another Quite mercilessly We lough and we play I pray this always will be I know I am lucky To have this girl by my side She is so full of love And it’s a love she can’t hide I’ll love her tomorrow As I did yesterday And every day like today I know I’ll feel the same way I adore her she’s beautiful And I know she loves me But today is so special It’s her birthday she’s three! I love her she’s beautiful She means the world to me I’d do anything for her It’s a love meant to be. FAIRY DOORS by David K Wilson© Fairy doors on the forest oor A myth most people say Yet I’ve watched them early mornings When they’re o to work and play Such happy little people And as tiny as can be Children singing jolly songs While mothers each drink tea Age old trees in quiet spots Is where the little people live In summer winter autumn spring Reaping what the forest gives Like lots of luscious berries Nuts and owers too And watercress from in the streams Can make a lovely stew Scrumping sometimes helps their day Plums and apples come what may Fresh cream from the farmer’s cow Luxury yet free somehow In wintertime they hibernate Snug as bugs with a cuddly mate Sleeping winters days away Until the spring then it’s out to play We have many lovely villages In this our forest home And the fairies never bother us Because we leave them alone When next walk past the tallest trees inking was that a voice or just the breeze en a tiny door perhaps many more en sadly you’re thinking just like me! APPEARING by Pete Wood© How we prepare to face exactly the erceness the hostile outside in our selected costumes actingly worn as bold stage masters before a critical audience that know as much as we hope they don’t truth is shrouded by its opposite. e shivering nakedness beneath hidden by mirrors re ecting falsely peers in unwatched moments from the trench unnoticed to check it’s still safe. First Day At Work by Isobel Smith© Through the shipyards daunting gate on that first day Escorted to my place of work, to stay for 9 more years Long drawing boards, clad in waxed blue linen lay With black inked deck plans ranging expertly in tiers. Those drawing boards seemed long as mighty ships themselves I’d never draw I thought enough to fill those endless voids Great rolls of tracing cloth in sizes, ranged along the shelves Steel pens and jet black ink and t/squares poised. How could I know, what joy a shipyard tracers job could be Stained in black ink, our fingers, cuffs and even tongue Ten minutes break, hands heated on hot Oxo or a cup of tea Apprenticeship for life, all started there, when I was young. With my tail held high slightly twitching at the tip I slink along silently with determined direction investigating as I go here and there observing pausing at unusual newness all things considered. What’s this intruding? A strange person: don’t think you’re necessarily welcome. See my tail now, swishing before I sit down and stare deliberately assessing. Dare to look back at me! Let’s engage: I bet you get bored first. There, I see you crouch and beckon pleased, I win again I have all day to dream up games patiently I wait knowing slightly disdainfully you will approach me my irresistibility. You may stroke my head I’ll allow it if I like you and I’ll purr so you can hear if not, I’ll scurry off low and swift, ears back and cast you a furtive glance. Either way if you don’t like me you’re probably a dog person. CAT by Peter Wood© For My Friends by Isobel Smith© I need you somewhere in my heart my friend For distance alone keeps us apart Your strength and your humour a wonderful blend When we meet again our new chapter will start. I need you somewhere in my heart my dear Where children are forever held secure Your path in life is marked ahead quite clear I stand and watch you live the life that must be truly yours. I need you somewhere in my heart my love ough perhaps you won’t be there forever Our good times and bad come hand in glove Meanwhile we rejoice and promise “never to say never”. erefore my heart is fully stacked – With people – led for instant recall My memory bank thankfully packed With ample space to keep you all. He was a lad of nine his shorts down to his knees. Stood in goal all alone his dad trying to please. ere was no net hanging but a full size goal to guard. Dad was stood just behind shouting making it hard. He let in four that day although the lad he tried. Got a verbal bashing his head down and he cried. No hand to console him “Bad luck today my son. There is always next week you did your best well done” So dads don’t shout and moan give your lads a break. ey are playing for fun so help a man to make. This was sad but true. SUPPORT OR STAY AT HOME by Jim Dolbear© The copyright of all poems that are published in The Herald belong to the author and must NOT be reproduced without their permission Send your poems to us at 2 High Street, Hythe, Southampton SO45 6AH or email: editor@herald-publishing.co.uk
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