Author: BenDQ

Poem 452 – Man vs. Garden

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Today I’ve been pruning a bush.
That is an understatement.

I’ve been chopping up remains
of vast swathes of branches culled
from overgrown hedges and bushes
and dumping them in our bin.

It’s been a battle, one man
with secateurs versus
Mother Nature gone wild.
Mother Nature is winning.

Eventually, Mother Nature
always finds a way,
but meanwhile, here I am,
trying to tame her excess.

Each piece recalls the past,
each snip a season gone,
and as the wheelie bin is
filled with trimmings, time flies.

Today I’ve been being pruned,
my sense of self stripped back,
perspective re-established,
the brambles will be back.

With winter gradually receding, I’ve been trying in vain to maintain garden order…
(12.03.25)

© Ben Quant 2025

Poem 450 – But I Did

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I didn’t mean to visit the shop
I didn’t mean to go inside
I didn’t mean to check the prices
I didn’t mean to try for size
I didn’t mean to chat to the attendant
I didn’t mean to ask for advice
I didn’t mean to search reviews
I didn’t mean to buy a bike…

Our local bike shop is closing down, and it would have been rude not to. I shall miss them, they’ve been very helpful over the last few years.
(10.03.25)

© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Wayne Bishop on Unsplash

Poem 448 – Hertfordshire Chain Walk Pt. 2

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Nine mile loop on foot
Through woods, fields and viaducts.
Above model planes
And red kites glide the thermals.
Back just as the Sun goes down.

After lunch we decided to go back and do the second loop of the Hertfordshire Chain Walk, knowing that we would be getting to the car as the sun went down. No time to hang around!
(08.03.25)

© Ben Quant 2025

Poem 447 – Bike Free

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Pedalling smoothly, my wheels begin to pur,
a low contented growl from spinning cranks.
My muscles sing. I playfully leap and bound.
I am transposed, at one with my bike, man
and machine conjoined to make the King of the Road.

The sun is out and I needed to make a visit to the local hospital, and so it seemed the perfect chance to take the bike for a spin. It felt good.
(07.03.25)

© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Josh Nuttall on Unsplash

Poem 446 – Rising

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The sun rises, and with it rise our spirits,
its warmth begins to thaw our dormant souls.
Woken from their winter hibernation,
emerging smiles begin to bud then flower.
Above the bird song swells in volume and richness,
and here below our voices respond in kind.
Funny how all it takes to wash away
the blues are blue skies, blazing with glorious gold.

This week, Spring has sprung.
(06.03.25)

© Ben Quant 2025

Poem 445 – Motormouth

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The Young Ones are
not quite so young.
Alternative?
Not quite as much.

Blackadder has
gone over the top,
the Thin Blue Line
gone out for lunch.

We Will Rock You
has left the building,
and growing older
means losing touch.

But when all is said
the show is over,
motormouth Elton
still packs a punch.

A busy day has been perfectly capped with an evening out watching Ben Elton. Nostalgic, certainly. Generational, sure. But something to say? Definitely.
(05.03.25)

© Ben Quant 2025
Photo licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Germany license https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:BenElton.jpg

Poem 444 – Old Gods

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Psalm 19:1 NIV
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Raising my smartphone to the skies I search
the heavens for their ancient inhabitants;
modern tech becoming a prayer calling
the old gods to be modern occupants.

Small Mercury, messenger to the gods,
flits faintly between the horizon’s distant flames,
hiding from sweet Venus’ advances
as she shines upon young lovers’ nocturnal games.

Above, King Jupiter reigns from his heavenly throne
causing me to crick my neck not bend my knee.
Finally, hawkish Mars asserts his strength
his face flushing in his angry fury.

This revelation thrills me as I learn
the identities of these distant glowing bulbs,
I revel in the glory of these prizes
as they’re poured from creation’s laden treasure vaults.

I was introduced to the Stellarium app recently. I took it out for a whirl at 6.30 this evening to discover I could see four planets in the sky with the naked eye. Amazing.
(04.03.25)

© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by isaac sloman on Unsplash