Living on the Thames -- Sketch Book Challenge

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Living on the Thames

How are things going, Mema?**

"Oh fine darling, I'm just sit-

ting here watching the four walls"

A generation and some

years later the daughter said,

"I'm here just hanging out and

watching the tide come and go"

Here hubby chimed in, "let's see

about this, what else is there

to watch?" "We'll take some notes and

I'll catch some pictures and sketch."

You can watch the scaffolding

go up on the new building

next door.  Or below see the power

wash man do his thing.

 

Or watch the construction cranes

a mile away, see if they

make their move today, lifting

 

See, the tide is out right now

but that doesn't phase this boat

  

 

The yellow window wash man,

he seems to be a McDon-

ald's toy playing way down there

 

 

If I were you I might be

counting all the red double

decker buses, that beats the 

tide that comes in and goes out

only once or twice a day.

 

You could follow your doctor's

orders, walk to the Vauxhall

bridge and spot the London sights.

 

Slowly turn round three-sixty

What you see will be pretty

 

The exercise will do you

more good than sitting alone

 

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Photos and Poem Copyright, © 2014 Jimmiehov, All Rights Reserved

 

Today I'm linked with Margaret at the Real Toads, Sketchbook Poetry Challenge

 

**Note:  (1) At the Vauxhall Bridge, Lambeth, London, U.K, the Thames actually rises and lowers by fourteen feet with the coming and going of the tide.

............ (2) Mema was my mother-in-law.  She died at age 89 in 2007. (Link to her tale)

 

Loosely, Margaret asked us to write after a sketch, written or drawn.  She said we could be loose, I used some photographs that I took this morning.  We are visiting relatives who live on the Thames in London, neither Mrs. Jim nor I live here.  The pictures are what can be seen from their window and balcony and some others that I took just a few minutes' walk away, from the Vauxhall bridge.

Curse of the Goat -- A Personal Challenge

 

The Curse of the Goat

 

The Chicago Cubs stink, they have since 1945. 

Every one knows. 
It all began with Bill "Billy Goat" Sianis,
famous pet the owner of Billy Goat Tavern,
 
and his goat, Murphy.

That fateful day in '45 Murphy came

to the ball game with his man, a big Cub fan was he.

But they were met at the gate, there at Wriggly Field,

by the Cub Usher Cops Corp in full.

You can't come in with that goat,

now or ever was their edict. 

So Old Man Sianis called on his friend,

Cub's owner, Mr. Wriggly.  Now Mr. Wriggly knew

from where his fortune was coming.

What fan in his right mind wants to sit beside a goat. 

He cringed, friend or no, he knew what to do. 

"There's no way in Hell your goat can come,"

Mr. Wriggly hollered, "BESIDES HE STINKS." 

Honked off, Sianis and his goat left.

But on the way out he retorted, "you'll not win

this game or another series ever." 

Murphy added his feeling, Maa, Maa. 

Since that day the curse was on.

Not only do the Cubs not win series,

THEY ARE THE WORST BASEBALL TEAM EVER.

To this day has been this way,

go check the stats in your paper.

 

It's the Curse of the Goat, may it continue on.**

 

Photos and Poem Copyright, © 2014 Jimmiehov, All Rights Reserved

 

To authenticate this curse for yourself, please check here.

 

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Today I'm linked with the Izzy at the Real Toads, Poem is a Curse

 

**Notes:  (1) Izzy challenged us to write a curse poem.  I think she may have wanted us to initiate the curse but I really didn't do that.  I just tell the story here, mostly true, and declare that Murphy's curse continue.  Curses do stop you know.

.............. (2) The animal pictures (at the top are two goats, the bottom guys peeking over their barn door are sheep) were taken during our recent visit to the Vauxhall City Farm located in the Vauxhall area of Lambeth, England, a borough of London, U.K.  Admission was free as are most of the city museums, gardens, and the like.