Trying to impose
Order despite the ingrained
Habits of the world
Doing the chores
(24.05.25)
© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash
Author: BenDQ
Poem 524 – Celebrating Life
On your marks…. Go!
So off we went, a drumming
river flowing round
the field in endless circles.
Some formed gentle eddies,
whilst others became torrents,
crashing waters surging
forwards with urgency.
Let’s run with zest the Head
had said and so we did,
with cheers and tears and joy,
remembering why we ran.
We poured until our muscles
ached and lungs were spent,
then flung ourselves upon
the shore in celebration.
I joined a local primary school for their annual run to remember a further student who sadly passed away. As always the pupils and community were great.
(23.05.25)
Poem 523 – Clocking Off
It’s nine o’clock and so
Creation’s curtains close,
drawn by a flock of starlings
heading home to bed.
Every night, as regular as clockwork!
(22.05.25)
© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
Poem 522 – Under the Sun
Totally crashed out
and basking in the sun,
Reynard relaxes beneath
its golden smile and grins;
his snout become a mirror.
A fox has taken to lying at the end of our garden. Yesterday he was so relaxed I was worried for a moment until his snout twitched.
(21.05.25)
© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Dušan veverkolog on Unsplash
Poem 521 – The Crowd
Rush hour, Monday morning, the crowded Tube,
the regular array of faces, usual places.
The suits eyes down in laptops, youth on phones,
a clutch of builders, bags of tools and coffee. Respectable, routine, their faces reflect
mine as they catch up on the sports pages.
The searing shriek of metal splits the scene,
which sunders, superimposing a previous day.
Arms outstretched their conductor waves his hands. Under his spell the crowd begin to jump,
a victory song that swells in violent time,
until the carriage starts to sway along.
Fearfully I watch, shrinking, isolated,
no badge of loyalty, no strip, no colours.
They are not me, but shuddering between
I see my face reflected in the crowd.
I saw The Crucible on Saturday. That and a TV drama I’ve been watching has got me thinking of crowd mentality and an incident on a train I once experienced.
(20.05.25)
© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Oleg Sergeichik on Unsplash
Poem 520 – Caught In Dissatisfaction
Between faith and doubt there lives a tension
that neither pulls towards belief or tugs
towards betrayal. It sits in hesitation.
The story that you tell me calls for action,
begat the growing urge to spring to help,
but something in my bones warns me to hold.
I stand, suspended; caught between the move
to love and the opposing withdrawal of suspicion. I’m trapped, arrested in dissatisfaction.
I’ve had a couple of calls from someone seeking help. They might be genuine, but I find myself hesitating. This sits uneasy with me.
(19.05.25)
Poem 519 – The Pride
A lawn of lions,
Their golden manes
Bobbing brightly
Under the Sun.
NoMowMay has produced a beautiful display of dandelions.
(18.05.25)
© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Nikša Leko on Unsplash
Poem 518 – Boundary Market
A cacophony of smells assaults me,
seducing me with savoury scents.
Fresh cheeses pair with delicate herbs,
sitting by artisan breads and rolls.
Pies with flavours strange and familiar,
entice in rows of crisp gold cases.
Strawberries sell by cups or punnet,
(chocolate sauce is optional).
A brazen rainbow envelops me,
its racks of exotic, colourful fruits
transport me to a foreign land.
Within these streets life is compressed,
our bodies densely stirred together,
a heady cocktail of taste and language.
We were in London today for a show at The Globe today. Arriving early we wandered over to Borough Market, a first time for me.
(17.05.25)
© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Taylor Keeran on Unsplash
Poem 517 – Another Year Won
The summit of another year’s been won,
a further 365 days done and here,
I sit reflecting on the last of them.
A call from my parents who gave the gift of life.
At times I’m sure they must have wondered why!
A bottle of whiskey and toffees from my son.
He knows me well. I suspect they will be shared.
Facebook greetings from friends old and new
that spread across the growing years and places.
A simple click perhaps, but strangely moving.
A trio of pairs of socks embroidered with bikes
from friends who’ve shared the ups and downs of life.
Discovering cake and conversation can
cut across divides of difference between us.
And finally a ring. A ring to replace the ring
I snapped that I had worn for thirty years.
The ring isn’t really the gift, it’s just the paper
wrapping the second life that I’ve received.
It’s my birthday. It’s been a good one!
(16.05.25)
Poem 516 – The Race of Life
Like Race Around the World,
we’re traveling through life,
adopting different speeds,
and taking different routes.
Each life that’s lived’s unique,
a one off gift of time,
blending both choice and chance,
making us who we are.
The victory I’ve found
is not in these but those;
in those with whom I’ve travelled,
and those I’ve loved and served.
Tonight Alpha met Race Around the World.
(15.05.25)
© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Nejc Soklič on Unsplash
Ode for the Day 