Fa – the Green Dragon

A Place for the Odd Musings of an Expat Bristolian

Category Archives: Poetry


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Asian Fare

Asian Fare

I like Chinese food he said
Why’s that? He was asked
It’s got a taste, but I can’t declare
The flavour sometimes masked.

Allow me then to take you,
On a little tour
We’ll begin perhaps with India
And then Japan for more.

Refrigeration is paramount
To keep food fresh and nice
But when it gets to a certain point
You have to use some spice.

Garam Masala’s good and hot
And so is Madras curry
Important though that when you cook
Do it slowly, do not hurry.

Koreans like to pickle
And of course they serve with rice
Kim-chi is a favorite dish
But not like bread to slice

It’s hot and spicy and then fermented
Exotic food that they invented
To use the cabbages that they grow
Fields and fields, row after row

Viet-Nam has Pho, a tasty noodle soup
With chicken that comes straight from the coop
And then there’s China and its cuisine
Strange snake bile soup and owl spleen

Of course Chinese pepper has a fragrant smell
Makes many dishes go down really  well
Especially when served with rice
Brings the taste to twice as nice

After China there’s Japan
Cultural creations made by man
Kaiseki, Japan’s most expensive eats
Carefully made artistic feasts

But being honest, you have a choice
Drive through a Subway and with your voice
Speak to an electronic clown
It will take your order down

And deliver it at window number two
Their creation will be made just for you.
Enjoy your sandwich, lunchtime fare
Often made with Asian care.


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The Farm

THE FARM
There’s a farm atop that yonder hill
An old man plies his labours still
There’s grass enough for cows to graze
And crops he tends like beans and maize

He ploughed the sod when it was new
And in its clearing, trees he hew
He settled there before the road
Before cars were a transport mode

Horses and wagons ruled back then
His eggs fresh daily from a hen
Now alas, farms are fading fast
Dim reminders of our past.

When armed with scythes upon the mow
Our wheat was cut and with a bow
The sheaves were tied with the harvest knot
And food was cooked in an iron pot.

Nowadays if by chance a farm you find
It’s probably the corporate kind
There are no people going to and fro
Just machines that make it go

There are no farmers on the land
No more cow-men close at hand
And farmers’ wives are long-gone too
A dying kind, it’s sad but true.


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The Skiers

More painting effort from therapy days.

 

THE SKIERS

Two skiers unaware they have been seen

Downhill skiing, what a scene!

Snow fresh fallen clean and bright

It fell in silence through the night.

And now two skiers get the thrill

Of racing downwards down the hill

To where they heard two bottles lie

Like Mana fallen from the sky

In a cooler so they won’t freeze

The very thought a pleasing tease

A race towards the finish

Where soon they’ll sit and relish

A perfect close to a perfect day

A refreshing bottle of IPA!

 


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The Island Light

I painted this as part of my occupational therapy following an accident in my garden.lighthouse

 

THE ISLAND LIGHT

The Island light stands firm and strong

In all weather rough and raw

And even when a gale would blow

The light you always saw

 

Shining brightly lighting your way home

Beneath a fog-filled view

Spreading beams of welcome

Its prismatic light for you.

 

For ocean going cargo ships

And small sailing craft as well

The turning light a beacon

That would of safety tell

 

And so toward the light

Beneath a harvest moon

In calm water and fine weather

We’d be at home quite soon.


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The Press Conference

 

THE PRESS CONFERENCE

 

 On Thursday Trumpty met with the press

His erratic ramblings however, a mess.

His White House he claims is a fine tuned machine

He’s been drinking his bathwater or else in a dream.

Trumpty is mad, as in insane

His remarks and his lies incredibly inane

And day after day his so-called facts they get more wrong

His nose if you’ve noticed, increasingly long

Soon it will be a Trump Tower on his face

A tower going sideways and quite out of place.

Trumpty’s a fumbler, doesn’t know what he doing

He should go to his window and hear them all booing. 

 

His public attempts at being sincere

Are so patently false and it is unclear

Exactly what he hopes to achieve

Maybe a rabbit from out of his sleeve

A look at some he wants on his cabinet staff

Their qualifications make us all laugh. 

 

What a bellicose fellow he turns out to be

Talk about blowing up Russian ships out at sea

He thinks like a bully and that thinking is poor

Maybe he wants to take us to war.

And what’s with his meeting at his seaside resort

He’ll complain if the press makes a report 

 

Claiming it’s just news that is fake

He’ll say all he was doing, was eating a steak.

With his new found friend all the way from the East

Sharing a meal at a movable feast.

As for questions it seems he picks and he chooses

But none of them about hot Russian Floozies. 

 

He does not wait till the question’s been asked

But starts to answer too soon and too fast.

It’s rude of him to say the least

Perhaps he’s in hurry to return to his feast

 

The White House it seems has become quite a bore

He prefers his play-pen on the Florida shore.

Pity it’s not at a Marine World park

Where there he could be eaten by a terrorist shark.

 


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The cabinet Maker

THE CABINET MAKER

 

Now as we witness the departure of Flynn

Trumpty’s team liars are beginning to thin.

One suspects of course he didn’t go it alone

But the calls to the Russians, Trumpty condoned.

 

Like at the barber’s we wonder who’s next

If not Bannon or Spicer we’ll all be vexed.

Though Conway’s a candidate to bid us farewell

We have to be patient and time it will tell.

 

Joseph Clancy just announced he’s resigning his post

For him Secret Service is permanent toast.

He says it’s so that Trumpty can choose

His own director so we’ll watch for the news.

 

We’ve heard that Trumpty is not a big reader

It also shows he’s not a great leader.

The white House is in upheaval they say

Crisis on crisis occurs every day

 

Putin has deployed a cruise missile we learned

A thirty year old treaty now has been spurned

Sad thing, there’s nothing Trumpty knows how to do 

But he’ll think of something out of the blue.

 

He’s not inclined to take expert advice

His know-nothings will have us just pay the price

Talking of prices did you see the cost of his wall?

The wall will be high and the price will be tall

 

He wants to save millions on jets that defend

And spend billions on fences he has no way to mend.

Most cabinet makers are craftsmen well trained

But Trumpty you are completely lame-brained.

Your mental acuity is under great stress

And when you are gone God will us bless!

 


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Some thoughts on Humpty Trumpty

SOME THOUGHTS ON Humpty Trumpty

 

Some thoughts on Humpty Trumpty, have been running through my head

It happens when I am awake and even when in bed.

I think it’s all the people, Yes-men to a Tee,

His lies and inane pouting lips that seem to bother me.

That’s not all there’s plenty more which should really make us mad

The realization simply put, is that we’ve all been had.

 

Swampking Donald conned them; those who cast their vote

You see he swapped his so-called swamp for a king-like moat

Made up of lackeys who support his line of different facts

Away with all the smart things like peace and trading pacts.

He does not like NATO but Putin’s all the rage

He’s just a rank amateur upon the world’s broad stage.

 

It seems his general Flynn did not wait to be sworn-in

Before he spoke with Russia, a No-No sort of sin.

He claims he does not recall about that which they spoke

For a security director it’s enough to make you croak.

There was a lot of ranting about Hilary’s server not secured

But he uses Twitter an often hacked small bird.

 

Ah, Swampking have you had a mental check?

Some say you are quite mad but I say what the heck?

King George III was mad it’s told and that I think is true

But malignant narcissist is more akin for you.

After nearly thirty day days of swimming in the pool

Have you now discovered that the world knows you’re a fool?

 

Buffoon would perhaps be better a just a simple clown

Or perhaps you are a man who would be king and wear a golden crown.

Oh Donald buy a ticket, Greyhound has a bus,

There are seats aplenty, just leave with little fuss.

 

Take your donor Betsey, Pence and Session too

And all the other billionaires who queue

To feed upon the powers of your post

Just like bacteria feeding not-freely on their host.

 

The Mid-Terms are a-coming like a warning bell

For the GOP my friend a kind of grave-yard knell.

If the Dems can win some seats and then without ado

You’ll be impeached Oh thank the Lord

We’ll see the last of you.


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Thwarted by the Judges

THWARTED BY THE JUDGES

 Humpty Trumpty is thwarted by the judges’ decision

He’s temporarily lost sight of his campaign vision

Whereby he’d ban all those he dislikes

Such as muslins and ISIS and terrorist tykes

He thinks signing an order with writing so bold

Is going to put foreign attacks all on hold.

 

He’d do better to listen each day when they meet

To the intelligence guys about whom he tweets

He declares what they say is simply a bore

I’d rather listen to Putin, what’s more,

He and his boys hack our systems each day

So I know already what my folks will say?

 

By the way, if you like to shop through the mail

Instead think of Nordstrom’s where they’re having a sale

On all of Ivanka’s line which they’ll end

Because sweat-shop clothing is ceasing to trend

What’s left over they’ll send to Goodwill

Or use them as rags to clean- up the Hill.

 

He regrets that he hired Spicer the schmuck

Who’s a whole hockey game short of a puck.

He’s there only to spout more White House lies

That leaves the Press just rolling their eyes

  And as for Conway, not tight with her ethics

Spouts a witchy form of White House polemics.

 

Each story they say has a moral you know

For Trumpty t’s this; you’ll reap what you sow

All of your hatred big talk and your scorn

Is just like hot air out of a horn.

Mexico’s not going to pay for a wall

U.S. taxpayers will be taking the fall.

 

You’re a liar, a cheat, a con and a fraud

Your Executive Orders just leave us appalled.

And talking of speaking what’s with that weird voice

You use when talking to people of choice

And your hands they make gestures like pictures in air

You do it while standing or when in a chair

 

By the way I should mention you’re putting on weight

I suggest that you diet before it’s too late

You’ll get even rounder like Humpty the egg

Before you know it we won’t see your legs

The White House will buzz with a lowered hum

Have you seen Humpty our low down bum?

 

And then without laughing and all mouths agape

They’ll look in the room that matches your shape

There they might find you tweeting your witch

It’s dark in here, where is the switch?

 

It’s time to bring this rant to an end

I only wish Trumpty that you had a friend

Who would counsel you well with a hand on your back

To stop you from errors and get you on track!


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So-Called

SO-CALLED

So-called President Humpty Trumpty

And his White House hacks

Prefer their brand of truth these days

Known as alternative Facts.

Every last man a liar and the Conway woman too

Make up stuff as they go along

Which they publicly like to spew

The distinction between the truth and their lies

Is lost on the alt-right moron who buys

Into Trumpty’s ideological game

Like me or else I’ll tweet to defame.

I’ll say nasty things all over the place

Lots of things, I can’t say to your face.

If you still don’t like me you’ll force me to sue

Along with the others I’ll get even with you

But just in case you don’t know the rules

Here’s the plan cooked up by my fools

Perish the truth and freedom as well

Fascism will bloom like the fires in hell.

I’m the new leader, commander in chief

My Generals just yes-men Oh what a relief.

I like this dance to the tune they call power

Better than chasing girls in my tower.

Switch off the lights and don’t leave the fan on

Where’s my court jester the so-called Bannon?

He’s down in the cellar drinking again

He does that they say because he’s ashamed

Of all the hatred he spouts on the right

Day after day and night after night.

So Trumpty you’re so-called and that is all

Preach that to your so-called crowds on the mall

Who you claimed showed up to see you sworn in.

If truth be said the mob was quite thin.

And one final word, we’re all at a loss

The so-called appointment of Betsy DeVos


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Dandelions – dents de lion

 

I have been away for a little while. I was not in a situation where I could write daily, so I dug this out of that place called drafts.

In the meantime on an entirely different note I read with great interest that a group of psychotherapists in the USA have reached the conclusion that Donald Trump has a disorder called Malignant narcissism. I invite you to look it up; it’s terrifying.

Dandelions – dents de lion

Yellow flowers bloom
then turn to white balls of seed
borne off by the  breeze.