Poem 1016 – The Conqueror’s Causeway (The Ballad of the Wake cont.)

Sep 29, 2026 / BenDQ / Leave a comment

And so he moved his army to
The village of Alrehede,
And had them bring there logs and beams,
All tied together, rows of trees,
Held up by balloons of sheep skin fleece
Positioned underneath.

And so a causeway soon was born
Across the watery peat,
Upon this men could safely march –
Lured on by greed they did too fast,
Called on by treasure from the past,
A rumoured concealed treat.

Under the beat of running feet
The bridge began to shake,
At first a creak and then a crack,
A shudder shock the Conqueror’s track,
Until it split apart, was wracked,
Hurling bodies in its wake.

(Alrehede, pronounced Al-re-heath, modern day Aldreth in Cambridgeshire)

William’s plan is pulled apart by haste and greed.
(29.09.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo by Jeremy Kwok on Unsplash

Poem 1017 – Psalm 133

Sep 28, 2026 / BenDQ / Leave a comment

I’ve often wondered about Aaron’s beard…

Was it full throttle ZZ Top
or something much more closely cropped?
A shaggy mop where birds could nest,
or neat coiffure for Sunday best?
Poirot curls or Viking plaits?
Something at home with a tricorn hat?

But this i know no matter how weird,
It’s a mass of hairs so closely adhered,
That although they’re different they appear,
To be a single glorious beard!

Enjoyed our Churches Together service tonight.
(28.09.26)

© Ben Quant 2026

Poem 1016 – When I’m Gone

Sep 27, 2026 / BenDQ / Leave a comment

The world will still turn round each day,
The Sun and Moon will dance their dance,
Gravity will constant tug,
The tide flow in and then depart.

My absence will be soon forgotten,
Opinions once so clear will pass,
My footprints will all fade from sight,
And passions strong no longer last.

So what remains for me today,
When all is just a fleeting song?
Seeking to be a harmonious note,
Amongst the divergent musical throng.

Written whilst in the queue for The Globe. There’s something about standing here in London by the Thames that reminds me of our temporary nature as humans. So much has been here for far longer than I have and will continue long after I’m gone.
(27.09.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo by Ana Paula Grimaldi on Unsplash

Poem 1015 – Parting Gift

Sep 26, 2026Sep 26, 2026 / BenDQ / Leave a comment

With time the waves erode
the definition of
your features. Self begins
to trickle with the tide.
Odd names become flotsam
adrift and unattached,
whilst conversations wash
repeatedly on the shore.
But even as the castle
walls begin to fall
your parting hug remains
reassuringly true.

(26.09.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo by Aaron on Unsplash

Poem 1014 – Human vs Duvet Cover

Sep 25, 2026 / BenDQ / Leave a comment

Straight-jacketted by bed-linen,
I refuse to panic or submit,
seeking to fight the sheets into
submission. Grappling with corners,
I twist and thrash and try to solve
this case of cotton origami.
At first it all seems bleak, the bedding
begins to win but just as all
looks lost ‘That’s Life’ emerges from
the folds of distant memory.
Shaking out the cobwebs, one flick
is all it takes to turn defeat
into a perfectly aligned
duvet – and Rantzen wins again.

Having almost finished decorating the spare room, it was time to put the bedding on again… Decades on, I still remember Esther Rantzen’s advice regarding how to put these new fangled duvet covers on.
(25.09.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo by wd toro 🇲🇨 on Unsplash

Poem 1013 – Dusk

Sep 24, 2026 / BenDQ / Leave a comment

Tonight the world went pink,
A blood transfusion from a dying Sun.
An evening gift of life.

Heading over to the church for an evening meeting tonight, the world was transformed by an eerie light. The group waiting by the door were all bathed with light, reminding me of my Grandad after his regular blood transfusions.
(24.09.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo by weyfoto loh on Unsplash

Poem 1012 – William’s Path

Sep 23, 2026 / BenDQ / Leave a comment

With fury flaming in his gut
He hatched an urgent plan,
To build a path across the marsh,
Erect a causeway strong and fast,
Across which Norman men could march,
Urged on by his angry hand.

Hearing of the rebels in Ely, William plans a way across the fen.
(23.09.26)

Poem 1011 – The Flood

Sep 22, 2026 / BenDQ / Leave a comment

When news from Ely found its way
From Fenland isle to crown,
A fury filled King William,
Blowing aside the protective dam,
Loosing an angry, raging ram,
Furious waters that rampant slammed,
At all that would against him stand,
Seeking to bring them down.

The news of the rebels massing in Ely reaches William.
(22.09.26)

Poem 1010 – A Sonnet to Time Management

Sep 21, 2026Sep 22, 2026 / BenDQ / Leave a comment

Today’s a day that’s dedicated to
A list of tasks that I must undertake,
Completing them before the day is through,
Whilst not missing any out by mistake.
I’ve drawn up lists with boxes to be ticked
And diarised my tasks with coloured code,
Been ruthless with my focus – that’s the trick,
Or so by online gurus I’ve been told
It doesn’t matter how fast that they’re ticked,
There’s always more approaching from behind,
Relentless ranks of jobs come marching briskly,
With urgency and importance intertwined.
But thankfully this is not who I am,
It’s character not tasks that makes a man.

Thought I’d write a sonnet today and this is what tumbled out.
(21.09.26)

Poem 1009 – The Evening Commute

Sep 20, 2026 / BenDQ / Leave a comment

As predictable as ever,
The evening commute begins,
The vaguest hint of hum.

At first a sole outrider,
Quick to leave the office,
Keen to miss the queue.

The sound of a distant thrum,
Becomes an urgent flutter,
A squabbling squall of sound,
A churning flying mass,
A kaleidoscope of grey,
Remorselessly pushing forwards,
A riotous raucous throng.

As quickly as it started
The thundering flock have gone,
Until tomorrow comes.

Just as the light started to dip, the evening murmuration flew over as the starlings returned to Lee Valley for the night, echoing the human commuters who similarly travel in and out on a daily basis.
(20.09.26)

Ode for the Day

An experiment in poetic doodling