Reminiscence...

This same festive time of every year
Returns me back to days long gone
Scents and smells of home cooking
Christmas cakes and fruit puddings
Lovingly baked and nicely decorated
It was the very best of feelgood spirit
Anticipation of the season had begun
Excitement as decorations were hung
Christmas gifts under the sparkly tree
I loved childhood days of innocence
A magical warmth savoured so well
Times now seen through reminiscence…

Eileen T O’Neill 14^th December 2023

Garden Tree...

Life’s existence can be measured by habit and change
Surroundings influence moods and demeanour
Each seasonal transition brings about a new view
Garden trees become guides throughout the year
Amidst winter’s usual dreary, cold and frosty gloom
Trees with their emaciated branches stand all forlorn
Limbs outstretched as though seeking an embrace
It’s a stark time whilst nature’s ways take their course
Knowing that a springtime of revival will follow-on
There’s such hope to be gained from those early signs
Green buds offer an incalculable uplift when first seen
Shoots of new growth dressing scrawny woody arms
It’s the perfect moment to regain optimism’s energy
To feel connected to Mother earth and a spirituality
My garden tree provides a colourful canopy of shelter
Whenever summertime’s warmth shines through
Birdlife perches from dawn’s first light, until dusk
I observe each year’s passing within sight of this tree…

 Eileen T O’Neill 07/12/2023

Remembering...

The months between October and December
Always draw me back to those years now gone
Between autumn’s leaves and twinkling lights
It’s very easy to recall so many happy memories
Times shared with loved ones, no longer here
I miss all that excitement of travelling to visit
Airports overfilled with pre-Christmas bustle
Arriving to the warmth of much-loved hugs
Winter warming drinks and tasty festive foods
Scents and smells evoking childhood goodness
Being together was a precious gift for each other
Now there’s a certain emptiness to these months
It’s how life is as we are moved along by memories
Remembering the past while enjoying today’s times…
 
Eileen T O’Neill 23/11/2023

 

I Love...

I love the discovery of new destinations
Perhaps an anticipation of the unknown
Which takes my breath away at first sight
Yet leaves indelible memories in mind
It’s the draw of the impending journey
Once all decisions are made and booked
Clothes and accessories carefully chosen
Departure day arrives with an early alarm
Checking and rechecking all is in order
Off to the airport as excitement takes hold
On our way to new places glanced on maps
Between wonderful Alpine Mountain settings 
Or the ebb and flow of fresh Atlantic waves
Travelling into seasons of magnificent change
I love these connections to the world of nature
Though no matter where we wander to explore
The masses of many scenic images captured
Returning home is the experience I love most…

Eileen T O’Neill 16/11/2023

Footprint...

From the front window I can see my tree of seasons
It’s a regular barometer for observing the changes
Springtime’s bounty of fresh and luscious growth
Blossoming into a mass of pinkish-white petals
This wild cherry tree adds colour to April’s Garden
Autumn’s arrival and presence is often windswept
Unnerving and felt loudly when east winds blow-in
Many days can be quite placid with a softer rain
Nature takes its course as leaves tumble to earth
Rustic clusters settling into mounds upon the lawn
Bare limbs forlornly adopt their seasonal mode
Nearby flowerbeds capture the newest footprint
Viola and pansy flowers still retain cheery smiles
Where Fall’s tokens now adorn the scenic view…

Eileen T O’Neill 09/11/2023

 

 

 

 

 

Moving House and Home...

Many years ago, with conversations and decisions made
All that was our furnishings and trappings of our homelife
Were carefully packed and listed into sixty packing boxes
It was a busy time with engagements about a future house
Hopeful imagining was all that could be envisaged back then
Realisation arrived on the morning of moving and departure day
A huge container truck gradually packed away, all that we owned
This was the moment when this planned change became reality
We then flew from what had been our birth town into an unknown
Across the Irish Sea and arriving at a new address, as the strangers
Unpacked and settled into the surroundings we made into a home
Along the way we have met with curious enquiry about our accents
An unnerving inquisition as we find ourselves between two lands
Away from years of civil unrest and a possible lifetime of uncertainty
At times we reflect on how that decision has directed life’s choices
Those journeys taken to explore other destinations and continents
Revisiting hometown wasn’t the same without familial connections
There are major differences between having a house and a home
Home is most definitely where the love and warmth of family lingers
Family gatherings are with an open invitation to the heart of our hearth...

Eileen T O’Neill 2/11/2023

 

 

Take This Poem...

Take this poem written fresh and new today
A brand-new prompt has arrived just in time
I found an interesting thread of inspiration
Followed where it led across my imagination
Delved into yesterday’s archives of photos
Looking back to where travels had taken me
Chicago city and the start of a colourful fall
Took an overhead train just to hear it rattle
A cityscape viewed from a leisurely cruise
Leaves crunched underfoot as we explored
Sky to ground view from John Hancock Tower
I can still smell dinner’s smoky food scents
Stopped off where the blues were playing
Lost ourselves within the heart of the vibe
Enjoyed shopping hours in Michigan Avenue
A vivid treasury of memories, now a poem…

©Eileen T O’Neill 20/09/2023

Weather Diary...

We picked strawberries this year in April
The punnet was much smaller than usual
After a few weeks the leaves turned brown
The garden’s flowers were rainswept in May
Battered and bruised by unseasonal winds
Many outdoor activities were abandoned
Spring’s evenings spent sheltering from rain
We looked forward to summertime’s freedom
Sadly, June arrived as an almighty heatwave
People cowered indoors to escape the heat
Sun worshippers overcrowded the beaches
Without any rain, grass soon looked like straw
July gave twenty-seven days of rain and cloud
Just four days of sunshine to enjoy outdoors
Dishevelled pansies and roses looked forlorn
Severely weather beaten and mostly untended
Summer seemed to finally arrive during August
The month to catch-up with postponed routines
A time to barbeque and have some fun outdoors
Seasonal changes are taking effect much sooner
There are early hints of autumn with September
A warmth in anticipation of fall’s rustic colours…

Eileen T O’Neill 13/09/2023

What's Going On...

Passing along life’s one-way highway
Peaks and plains of highs and lows
Moods and outlook guided by seasons
Inspiration sought from changing times
Motivation and creativity easily depleted
Seemingly caught in a world of downbeat
Crystal clear vision too often just a blur
Fulfilment lacked any sense of excitement
Those were the many darker days we knew
Freedom encourages our footprints in new soil
We stand by seashore beaches and mountains
This journey can see many fresh opportunities…

© Eileen T O’Neill  05/09/2023

 

 Inaugural Prompt for the Blog.. What’s Going On