Review “Nothing But the Night” (1973)

Starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Diana Dors, this film starts with three mysterious deaths, where the people involved appear to be murdered but without putting up a fight. The deaths are ruled as suicides, but Police Colonel Bingham (Lee), regards the deaths as suspicious. All three are trustees for a prominent orphanage in Scotland,…

Wouldn’t It be Nice

Wouldn’t it be nice If all the fighters in all the world Put down their weapons And went home If they beat their swords into ploughshares And their spears into pruning hooks If they took apart their guns Abandoned their bombs Repurposed their tanks and recycled their planes Governments couldn’t fight wars If they had…

The Magic of John William Waterhouse (1849-1917)

John William Waterhouse was a later painter of pre-Raphaelite style, which started in 1848 with the formation of the pre-Raphaelite ‘brotherhood’. However, his work was different in many ways from the first painters in that style, being more three-dimensional. His subjects included Arthurian and similar tales, classical tales, and more general subjects. Some of his…

Choices

You face a choice And the consequences are steep What to do? Sometimes there’s no way to know You can’t take a peek Behind door one and door two To see how it’s going to go There’s no way to find out So try as you might to consider the pros and cons Your choice…

Review “Gone Baby Gone” (2007)

“Gone Baby Gone” is a mystery/whodunnit involving the kidnapping of a little girl. Two private detectives are requested by the child’s aunt to investigate, as they live in a rough neighbourhood and she does not believe people will talk to the police (with some justification). The movie follows the investigation and what happens to the…

Haikus for My Girl

Striped fur soft and warm Green eyes glow with inner fire Happy purrs give life Nonchalant she sits Pristine paws arranged just so Waiting for service Thirteen years my friend Old girl sleeping safe and close Love given freely

A Mother’s Love You Never Knew

When you are young this is how it is You love your mum and she loves you On the whole, I guess that’s true But sometimes as you grow You look again, and know You grieve a mother’s love you never knew Approval was conditional Affection waxing and waning with every changeable mood And if…

Review “1917” (2019)

“1917” is directed by Sam Mendes and depicts the story of two soldiers in World War One given the dangerous task of taking a message to a regiment that is about to head into a trap. It is a straightforward plot, but the way the story unfolds is just harrowing, breathtaking, brilliant. From the start…

The Sea Our Destination

Boat floats freely on the current The river knows where she goes And we trust her to take us there Clouds swirl lazily overhead Painted streaks of white, blue, grey While light fractures gold to green Through overhanging trees Green and gold shower onto the water Leaves and blossom Meadows dance on either side Purple,…

The Painter Observes

Sitting in a rowboat Easel carefully balanced, brush and palette ready The painter observes the scene The sun shines, fluffy clouds cruise across the sky And a soothing breeze sighs along the water The river takes shape under his hands The greenery of trees and lush grass lining each bank follows Red-tiled farmhouses on the…