If you owned a caterpillar and had to buy him shoes, you would use up all your pocket money and have none left to buy your chews.
However, once he became a butterfly, three pairs would be all he’d need to wear.
Because by then, he’d have grown two lovely wings to help carry his weight and prevent holes from rapidly appearing through the bottom of his shoes.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo by Sonika Agarwal on Unsplash
Iris on moving into a new area was invited by a new friend to her house.
The lady said ‘I am having a coffee morning, and will ask some of my neighbours to come round to meet you. It might help you, to feel more at home here.
Iris was delighted and accepted the invitation.
On the appointed day, she swung into her friend's shared drive, took a fit of sneezing, and ploughed through a row of Mail Boxes.
‘As of course, you shut your eyes when you sneeze, don’t you!’
What a way to make new friends. However, all was redeemed by the new friend, who happened to have, a handyman, working on her property at the time and he quickly repaired the damage.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo by Hiroshi Kimura on Unsplash
Darkly silently it glides in feet first, before retracting it’s wings to maintain a balance.
The deadly work then begins.
Poking, snapping, devouring, young frogs from their underwater dwelling.
I know it is nature and we should not interfere.
However, our frogs are becoming rarer and now need saving.
I’ve deepened the pond, and rigged up preventative fishing line, to stop their ease of access.
It will not totally prevent the crow's raids.
Just decrease their killing spree.
So frogs will still come to my pond at mating time.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Crow Photo by Chris Linnett on Unsplash
Frog Photo by Dulcey Lima on Unsplash
The Fish Pond Photo by Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Just 15 minutes slots you have been paid to spend with me.
No time to chat or you might forget to wash my feet, along with my body.
Clothes off! Clothes on!
Quick we have to be!
Ouch, take care of that hurt!
Just time for food to be put in front of me.
Pills, hot tea and drink, whichever is my choice.
Then off you go at speed, to achieve the next timed deadline.
No time to chat, though that is the care I hunger for the most.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Three young birds, feathers all shining and new, stood by their mother, admiring the view.
Their mother said, ‘Please follow me all of you and do as I do.’
She spread her wings and gently flew to the branch of a nearby tree.
‘Come on now, don't be frightened, just do what I showed you.’
They seemed a bit scared, so back to the roof she went.
Once more she called to the little birds, ‘Come on darlings, do what I do.’
The birds watched once more, and then one of them was tempted by his mother's call.
He landed on the tree with a bit of a wobble and shouted, ‘It’s great, come on down you two!’
The others would not be outdone, so they launched themselves into the air and found it was such fun.
Mother bird said, ‘You know, we are the lucky ones, as only feathered birds can fly like us. Humans need a ticket, sometimes a passport, and have to wait for hours at an airport, to fly in a big airbus.’
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo by Maurice Schalker on Unsplash
When first I set eyes on you,
I knew you were the one.
We will always be together,
Loving, helping and having fun.
Where I lead you follow,
Making friends along the way.
Our bonding is complete,
And when out together on our feet
We are treated as one.
We both have our times of freedom,
When I run free and play rough and tumble.
It is you I watch out for.
You are my night and day,
I really love you unconditionally,
There is no other way.
This may be my last word, so remember,
At the time of our parting which will surely come
My spirit will be there beside you
To help and guide you
I love you, I do, I really do
Woof Woof Woof Woof
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo by Donna Cecaci on Unsplash
A golden wedding band went missing somewhere in the coral sand.
It was found by a passing mermaid and worn upon her hand.
At first, she felt the sorrow its loss must surely bring.
She knew there would have been great searching and wondering.
She’d like to tell the owner, she’d wear it now with pride, it would be her connection to the world, up beyond the tide.
Her wish for the replacement would be, to give it once again with love though in a slightly smaller size.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo by Daniela Silvia Serban
The needs of most of humanity are simple: a dwelling, however fragile, to call their own; steady, clean water, sanitation and food supply; clothing; good friends, love, family and a sense of belonging, with access to education and health services in a community setting.
Only a small minority of humanity seek and demand more, much more, using terror, pain, death and destruction of what the majority hold dear.
Why?
We enter this world with nothing, and we leave with nothing, not even our bodies.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash
Early one morning I made my way to my railway station, and on crossing the bridge over the railway line I looked down for a moment to see if there was anyone on the platform.
To my amazement strutting along the railway line, pausing every now and then to pick up some tasty bite to eat was a beautiful Cockerel.
The sun shone on his feathers and showed his plumage off to perfection. The wonderful orange and coppery colours on his head and body ended in a swirling waterfall, of curling glossy black feathers.
His upright bright red comb crowned the top of his head, and two alert black eyes and a bright yellow beak completed his handsome appearance.
For a few moments, I marvelled at him, then suddenly I awoke to the danger this lovely creature was in. He continued along the line unconcerned nearer and nearer to the station platform.
I rushed down the stairs, thinking as I went, ‘The train is due at any moment, I have got to chase him off the line.!’ Once on the platform, I looked down onto the line and he had gone!
Then I saw him again walking totally unconcerned up the slope onto the far platform which as the station was a terminus was never used these days.
I spoke to him and asked him to go home which was the worst thing I could have done as he thought, as all fowl do, that I was offering him something to eat.
‘Oh no.’ I quickly turned my back on him, as I could now hear the sound of the approaching train. I held my breath till the train stopped and I hurried on board so that I could rush to the far window to see what had happened to my friend the cockerel.
He was nowhere to be seen, I just hoped he had run the right way back the way he had come to the safety of the farmyard he had escaped from.
If he was foolish enough to continue his adventurous walk he would be entering the territory of a family of foxes who lived at the far end of the platform.
They too, I am sure, would have, been watching him strutting nearer and nearer their dens not with admiration at his beauty, but in anticipation of an early tasty breakfast served right on their doorstep.
I am however quite confident that he escaped back to the farm and the hen house, to tell a sceptical flock of hens how he had escaped from an absolutely huge scary monster.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo: Pixabay License
I was meandering my way to breakfast, dropping off and collecting things I needed for the day. I walked into my lounge and was startled by screams coming from outside the glass door, and the sight of two teenage cubs, fighting over what looked like black and white feathers.
Lily was lying flat, tail level with the floor, and the fur on her back raised in battle mode, nose on the glass. It was then I realised what I was looking at was the remains of a magpie. Poor thing!
Suddenly, in pad the mother fox, as thin as possible, with her teats looking like a depleted milk bar. Obviously, the cubs were still looking to her for backup food. She raced about, hoping to find a morsel to satisfy her hunger. There was nothing left, just the long wing and tail feathers.
I longed to feed her but I knew it would be wrong to do so, or Lily, the older cat who has become mine, might also become breakfast or supper.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo by Jeremy Hynes on Unsplash
The rain was pouring down, and on the top of my neighbour’s roof sat a pigeon. He was soaked by the heavy rain. I thought what a silly pigeon!
Slowly he tilted his body over to the right allowing the rain to soak under his wing. What a way to have a shower, just like us. Otherwise, the underside of his wing would never have had a proper wash.
Having washed one side, he lowered his wing and raised the other to do the same. Next came a head-to-tail shake and ruffle of feathers, followed by an all-over good preen. (No soap or deodorant, though). He’d had a proper bird shower.
After a final shake, he flew up under the eaves to dry off. He slowly preened himself again all over before snuggling down, with his head tucked under his wing to go off to sleep.
Goodnight Mr.Pigeon!
If there is no rain, birds have a dry sand (or earth) bath. While sitting on a dry patch, they flick, fluff, and shuffle the sand or earth up through their feathers.
This is done to get rid of mites that live in their feathers and make them itch. I feel itchy just thinking about it, don’t you?
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo by Daniela Silvia Serban
I make my call to the young ones, it’s to them I am appealing. We need your youth and your vigor, along with your sense of fun.
Come to join us in the struggle, to help, the old and the young. To all the youth just listen, follow me and we’ll have fun.
Follow me and we’ll have fun!
We rely on your work on computers and challenging political puns.
We need your strength and protection, and your sense of fair play. To steer us into the future, in a successful way.
I make my call to the young ones, to them I am appealing. We need your youth and your vigour, along with your sense of fun.
Come join us in the struggle, to help the old and the young. To all the youth just listen, follow me and we’ll have fun.
Follow me and we’ll have fun!
I make my call to the young ones, to them I am appealing.
We need your work on computers, we need your strength and protection, along with your sense of fair play.
To steer us into the future, in a successful way.
In a successful way!
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo: Pixabay License
Is this the first you have ever written?
Now compelled to share once you have thrown onto the page in triumph or despair.
Maybe it’s been extracted, word by word, conjuring up sentences discarded, never to be heard.
It is done, the decision made to send, yet still paused.
You leave it sitting waiting, while another cup of tea is poured.
Days later, you cast a glance once more only to be tricked into changing a word, or a line.
Send it, send it now, courage calls; it is launch time.
Your finger hits the button; too late you wonder, does it all rhyme?
It is gone!
Gathering your thoughts once more, you write your next poem, with more confidence this time.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
I am grateful for the dawn approaching.
For the warming sun of the day.
I am grateful for my husband awakening beside me.
Ready for the chores to be tackled jointly and tidied away.
I am grateful for the rain showers, gentle and refreshing.
For the dog’s energetic greeting for a walk, and food it is true.
I am grateful for the cat’s more gentle reminder of hunger.
And for permission to parade outdoors.
I am grateful that children wake from slumber.
To hug and listen to for the rest of their lives.
I am grateful for the home we own, arranged and filled with love.
And work we walk home from without the cost of a train ride.
I am grateful for the garden and the vegetables grown at the end.
The cut flowers were brought inside, giving such a lift to the spirits.
I am grateful for the scent and colour when you walk indoors.
The chatter and laughter at the table over events of the day.
I am grateful for the moments of relaxation before saying to all “Goodnight. God bless”.
Lights out, as darkness of the night settles and we are very grateful for the many things left unsaid.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash
I want to be kind
I want to be caring
I want to be friendship-sharing
I want to be fun, a laughter maker
I want an occasional hug
I want to be a secret sharer
I want to be a quiet listener
I would love someone to be there when I need any of the above.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Jumping Jack the goldfish lives in my fish pond!
He is golden and sleek with a swift turn of speed.
When I turn my water pump on, the water starts gushing and bubbling out, he is there in a flash, splashing, leaping and rushing about.
Up in the air at times he hangs, for a second suspended, when down with a splash into the dark depths, quickly vanishing, his great jumps ended.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo: Pixabay License
What would I do without you and you without me?
It is a time I hope we never see.
I hope our lights go out together, so neither of us would be lonely, losing laughter, love and touch and cuddles in the dark.
What would I do without you and you without me?
Life would take on a different meaning.
There would be no welcome key in the door, as you would not live here anymore.
You would miss my silly stories and cosy natters when I am invited to depart.
What would I do without you, and you without me?
Let's hope it is never put to the test, as it is so hard to contemplate.
Squabbles we have had, lasting only minutes; making up so important to do, showing how much being together has meant.
Don’t leave me and I will not leave you.
If we have to separate and there is a heaven, let us promise to meet there, keeping the earthly connection, turning it into a heavenly one.
Love like ours should never ever die.
You should never be without me or I without you.
2024 © Penny Wobbly of WobblingPen
Photo: Pixabay License
