Image: The Forrest Fest peace parachute, it is exactly 6 years to the day that I wrote on it for the first time.

 

13.04.16 - 73) No sign of the rain, down to KPET again

Festival promo on a morning show

Tellin’ folks what’s goin’ down,

This weekend in Lamesa town

 

74) Laundry done yesterday, first wash of the tour

Wednsday of next week I’ll do one more

So at the end of my roam there’ll not be much to do back home

From washer to dryer with care, at the end I want it all to be there

But as I feared, two socks had disappeared

Search high and low, wonderin’ where they could go

Seemed I was beat, I admitted defeat

Then today when checking my suitcase, among the clean ones

The missing ones were there

It seems somewhere along the way, I’d worn a mismatched pair

Wait till I get to San Antonio

 

75) We got the posters to Beehives 1 and 2

An’ the Senior Citizens centre too barbecue chicken on the menu

We saw it an’ it looked nice saw, an’ we both liked the price

Connie said “You wanna stay an’ eat”

I said “Yeah at $2.50 it can’t be beat”.

The Senior Citizens Centre provide a daily meal for the over 60's, also a meals on wheels service. If it was not for this many would not eat.

 

76) Radio promo done, drivin’ back in the warm Texas sun

To Connie’s to compile a list,

Make sure we got all we need an’ nothing’s missed

Pencil an’ papers for the kids to draw an’ write

Refreshments an’ things for opening night

Gotta take heed of all the things we need

So our efforts ain’t been in vain, an’ folk’ll want to come back again

 

77) Cool wind blowin’ an’ we’re goin’

To Darla’s across the Panhandle plain

It’ll be great and how, once again some great Texas chow

 

78) Darla’s chow could not be beaten,

We tucked din an’ soon most of it was eaten

Sausage, chill, dips an’ pickled beets, an’ more sure was great eats

Dessert a dream, banana pie covered in cream

Soon in the cool evenin’ air we’re recitin’, everyone delightin’

An were, clappin' then we’re slappin’

Cos’ there’s one thing not delightin’

Is when those durned flies start bitin’

 

79) Texas sunsets reddish hue cool breeze from the wind that blew

We’re still recitin’ an’ delightin’ seems the flies have stopped bitin’

Ouch! Seems I wrote that in vain, the li’l critters just bit me again.

 

80) Phrank arrived we had a discussion

He said “I need help with percussion”

If you’ve a mind, I need bongos to find

But there was no bongos to be had from this travellin’ lad

Thom with his rapier like poetic wit had no bongos in his kit

But he offered something for percussion makin’

Rice filled plastic eggs for shakin’

Phranks search would carry on, lookin’ for some bongos to beat upon

Maybe Lady Luck will smile, an’ after a while

He’ll hail us with this greeting

“Hey guys guess what? I got some bongos for the beatin”.

Phrank yes his name is spelled as such is Phrank Bramlitt, musician and drummer from New Mexico, the poem was based on a discussion we had at Darla's.

 

15.04.16 - 81) Poets on the go, to KPET Radio, Forrest Fests opening show

Announce our arrival form a queue and wait our time

To do our music, verse or rhyme

The Presenter Don says “Ok” we get underway

Self introduction causes no ruction

Read what we like from behind the mic

An when we’re done off we run

To Sage and Beehives 1 an’ 2 to show ‘em what our travellin’ troupe can do

Sayin’ to the residents if you

Can’t get to the Forrest Fest we bring it to you

 

82) Hands wavin’ in time to our music an’ rhyme

Takin’ it all in, enjoyin’ it from within

So beguilin’ an’ she’s smilin’

Enjoyin what we’re sayin’ like verbal music playin’.

An our words makin it to her heart, again I see her smile

An’ think, “it’s makin’ being here so worthwhile”.

One of the residents was actually waving her hands to what we were reciting

 

83) Forrest Fest on track, how nice to be welcomed back

All those familiar places, no airs, no graces

Again I take to the stage, once more a hit,

Readin’ somethin’ I just writ.

Somethin’ specific, so prolific is it really a year since I was last here

How it’s past, seems to have gone so fast

Yes the Forrest Fest’s on track, an’ yes it’s great to be back

 

84) At the Community Centre Daniel was knowin’

How to get the sound system goin’

An’ then we got sound, goin’ round

The room just right for the slam tonight

Adjust the treble, adjust the bass, don’t wanna blast folk outta the place

Now we’re waitin an’ quietly debatin’

Art based on life or abstract, poetry based on fiction or fact

While waitin’ for Connie to arrive an’ get registration to come alive

 

85) I’m Trevor; I hope you understand

My accent because I’m from England

The land beyond The Pond

A poet travellin’ Texas an’ takin the time to record his travels in rhyme7

An’ I say to clever kids like you,

“Grab your pencil an’ paper cos’ you can be poets too”.

The above poem and the next were written at the Boys and Girls Club, where children manty disadvantaged are encouraged to play and work together, sometimes the meal they get tere is their only one of the day.

 

86) Draw a picture of the moon, or a tree or draw a cartoon

Write a story, a poem or go one better, write your best friend a letter

Draw or write it’s alright

Chose what you want to do, it’s up to you

 

87) I’m takin’ a break by Lamesa’s lake

Sunshine on the water glistenin’, to birdsong I’m listenin’

An’ the wind blowin’ through the trees, takin’ my ease

Let my mind roam thoughts of my family back home

Hopin’ things are ok, all those miles away

An’ I find we’re 6 hours behind

It’ll be night, so I’m wishin’ them sleep tight

An’ soon I must be up and away,

Cos’ I’ve 2 more events o do before the end of the day

 

16.04.16 - 88) Mornin’ comes creepin’ I’m still sleepin’

On thecouch I’m layin’ an’ I hear piano music playin’

I look an’ plonkin away, is a little kid nekid as a blue jay

“Howdy li’l feller” I say he ups an’ runs away

Running away in themorning gloom

Was he gonna say “Mom there’s s monster in the room”.

Yes it did happen one of Connie's great grand kids, his mum though the poem was great

 

89) Bless these trees with sun and rain

As the seasons come round again

Composed at the tree blessing ceremony

 

The following were done at a Haiku workshop

90) Five birds flying high

High up in the big blue sky

Floating on the wind

 

91) Sunshine on the water

Glistening like diamonds

Looks so beautiful

 

92) Think outside the box

Colour outside the box

Think differently

 

93) Over eight hundred

Poems written on my tours

Inspiration flows

 

94) Forrest Fest running

Behind as usual

It doesn’t matter

 

95) Make the most of being an open mic host

Get the show on the road, read an ode

Then get the gist, names read from a list

Event rolls and we have another story, in the Forrest Fests hall of glory

 

 

96) Feeling tiredness over me creep, I sit in mt car and drift off to sleep

Seats reclined, windows down too, coolin’ breeze blowin’ through

Sure feel nice in my hire car paradise

 

97) Winds droppin’ but there’s no stopping

Us takin’ the stage, recitin’ about life, love an’ rage

With our own styles bringin’ forth smiles

Givin’ time to recite in rhyme

Musicians jam, other poets slam

From memory trustin’ to luck, or carefully from a book

Yes the winds droppin’ an’ we’re still not stoppin’.

 

98) Open mic, it’s Saturday night,

Maybe not as planned but it’s goin’ alright

With our own styles bringin’ forth smiles

Or emotion risin’ it’s hardly surprisin’

Playin’ our part, reciting from the heart

Writin’ new poems we’ve been inspired now we’re getting tired

An’ tomorrow’s a new day, an’ we’ll all drive away

With memories of what has been, at Lamesa Forrest Fest 2016

 

99) At the community centre I saw a pair of cowboy boots outside

An’ wondered if I would meet, a cowboy walkin’ in his stocking feet

But he was never seen, nowhere where I’d been

Later I would see the cowboy boots still there,

But couldn’t see a stocking footed cowboy anywhere

It made me ponder, if out yonder

Someone walkin’ a Lamesa street would be a cowboy in his stocking feet

Boots of brown leather, protection from the weather

They’d been there all day, an’ I couldn’t help thinkin’ as I came away

It was a shame I didn’t meet a cowboy walkin’ in his stocking feet