Rucksack and boots in the hall,
No flickering shadows on the wall,
Another dismal day has come to call.
Spears of rain on my window pane,
The easy chair? or the country lane?

Favourite chair; favourite mug; cosy fire.
A book of rhyme in my hand,
Another world another land.
Walt Whitman filling my head full of joy,
Lewis Carroll taking me back to being a boy.

"Dylan Thomas" with much to say,
"To me" all as vague as yesterday.
"John Clare" to the country we will go,
Follow him through wind, rain and snow.
"Coleridge" for across the sea to go.

Tomorrow morning will soon be dawning,
Books on the shelf; lets go exploring.
My beloved hills are calling---calling.
My Beloved Malvern Hills.

By Jim Noond.