My Herb Garden


Oh..the fragrance of a herb garden,
Under the heat of a summer sun.
The nostrils tantalised
down the garden path
I materialise.

Lavender, Sage, Rosemary too.
Glorious swirls of purple and blue.

The hum of bees buzzing by.
And on the ground I must lie,
Driven by an inner need,
to be one with the Earth, the sky and the sea.
The herbs are calling to me....

Hey!
It's harvest time...
We are full, release us now,
that we may bring forth,
set that magic spell...

Set us free so we may heal.
Who knows what secrets our inner's reveal.
Full of goodness, outside and in.
The call of the herbs has gotten under my skin.

I vow and so I do...
To make more use of, and use anew,
the plants in my garden
and give them their due... CJA

Garden Retreat

Purple sage blossoms gloriously swirl,
Caught by the breeze, upwards they whirl.
Inhale the magnificent aroma of  jasmine.
Crushing, fingers rolling, releasing the crisp
Scent of a mint leaf.

A bee visiting the borage flowers,
Floats by my peripheral vision.
The sun is making a welcome visitation,
Trying valiantly to dry up our soggy nation.

The wind gently stirs the leaves of the cabbage tree,
Its great, I can sit for a while and just be ...
Follow the frenetic path of the ants up the wall.
Hear the melodious whistle of a tui, 
With its mate's answering call.
Today my garden has me in thrall.

A peaceful retreat in an otherwise busy day,
The earth grounding in its own way.

Store up these moments to look back on and reflect. 
To remember later when feeling stressed.
Take a deep breathe and envision,
This special moment on a rare sunny spring afternoon.  CJA

Beach Interludes



The waves creep and curl,
never ceasing patterns,
Encroach upon the sands of life.
Each infinitesimal grain,
makes up a whole.

The flotsam trying to reach the beach,
A soul's mysteries on that never ending search.

How to find that balance,
between the dark and the light.
Look behind the shadows,
with the wisdom of sight.

The ground seems barren and cold,
yet life remains.
Watching, waiting, seeking...
To start the cycle of life again.

The sun has set while I meander,
the vista before my eyes fades away into lavender.

To my daily life I must return.
Leave the peace, quiet and aloness I yearn...
Rips me back into reality,
and pulls at my sanity.

I can do it...I must,
It costs me dearly, but the needs,
of the many, who hold me in trust.

The joy I feel when I write,
enables me to cope and to see the light,
at the end of the tunnel.... CJA

Spring Visit To Bethells

Healing rays of sunshine,
The first feeling of sand on Spring's tender feet.
The majestic never ceasing curling of the waves.
Cliff faces protrude, overseeing the beach.
The horizon seen in a haze,
For the spring breeze whips the mist up,
before my gaze.

Just before me the opening of a cave,
I know I'll enter it at some time this day.
A hint of earth magic in the air,
Blowing the cobwebs from my hair.

The children released after days of rain,
Glad to be able to stretch and run again.

A seagull's cry haunts the moment,
As the wave breaks crashing, 
Tossing, churning, spewing forth,
releasing its energy.
Dispelling Winter's negativity,
Exposing me once again to the spirit of the sea.

Trace patterns on the beach,
Immerse my feet.
Reawaken the soles,
Let the natural high take control,
And with the earth's magic calm my soul.
Become one again with the sea and the world... CJA

Autumn Nights

When the east wind blows,
And in the air there's a hint of snow.
When the leaves on the tress start to fall I know,
That the time has come for the Autumn show.

The colourfulness of the leaves,
When the wind bares the trees.
Fall to lie upon the ground,
Fallow, decaying, forming a mound.
Life withdraws into itself for a while,
Retreats with magnanimous style.
Let the wind and rain take over,
Time for us all to take cover.
Shelter inside for a while, 
In order to withstand natures trial.

As there's a storm brewing,
The neat piles of leaves will most certainly be strewn.
The lightning shatters an eerie twilight,
Clouds crash together in the night.
A majestic display of nature's might. 

Quickly shrouded over by veils of rain,
The rain drops beating a pattern against the window panes.
I retreat into the night,
Back to the warmth and glow of the firelight.
Captured by the flames that nature ignites... CJA

Ode to an Old Tree


You started life as a minuscule seed,
The life captured inside you now freed.
Pushing upwards through the Earth,
No hint then of your now impressive girth.

Those first delicate tendrils,
Probing , questioning, drinking their full.
Soaking up the morning sun,
Straightening up, leaves curling undone.
Testing the summer's breeze,
Withstanding erect with graceful ease.

Roots delving deep into the soil,
Restless, creeping becoming more embroiled.
Reaching further and further into the ground,
Aiming to make its foundations sound.

It has to withstand many tests,
Be strongly put upon at nature's behest.
Growing upwards ... ever so slow,
Each year at Autumn, a colourful show.
Reaching upwards and outwards the branches grow.

Each year its girth widened till today,
 It has become,
A vast immense web,
Held proudly aloft,
By a trunk that is as solid,
As it is magnanimous in its age.

Winds have strewn for miles its heritage,
None stand as tall for far and wide,
Or portrays such a magnificent sight.  CJA

Spring Tempests

A clash of thunder rumbles echoing,
Grey black clouds quickly encroaching.
Darkening over in the blink of an eye,
Shattering the remnants of a sunlight sky.
An eerie twilight to prematurely end the day,
Thunder heads quickly smother the last sun rays.

The wind has picked up,
Rattling the newborn buds.
Whistling through the branches,
Testing the strength of the blackbird's nest.

A spattering of rain,
Brings the front along the shore.
Whipping up the sand,
Bringing the waves to the fore.

The rain creeps over the land,
Veiling momentarily it in its misty haze,
The view obscure to my gaze.
As the shower passes ...
The earth reappears,
Refreshed, glistening,
Washed anew.

In place of the clouds which have moved on by.
A glorious rainbow graces the sky.
Its colours and definition,
A sight to behold.
As a child I remember wanting to search,
For that ever elusive pot of gold.

Many Springs and storms have passed since those days,
Each unique in its own special way.
And still the momentary glimpse,
Of a rainbow can make my day ... CJA

 Summer Days

Succulently sweet
Vividly red strawberries,
Just one of summer's treats.
Honey tasting corn with melted dabs of butter,
A taste sensation, pure and utter.

Blue skies, cloud free vistas,
Long glorious days.
Have to cover up in order to endure the sun's rays.
Sunsets ending in a purple haze.
Sultry nights spent in a sleepless daze.

The Pacific Ocean waters of azure blue,
Beaches of soft sand enticing the fingers to sift through.
Effortless to float in sun warmed seas,
Holidays, when one is free to do whatever they please.

Unfortunately though summer also brings,
Nasty biting things with wings.
Flies, mozzies and also fleas.
Days so hot you spend it wishing for a cool breeze.
Who needs a sauna?
When the merest moment is guaranteed,
To put you in a sweat.
How ironic in winter these are what we forget.

To find a balance between the seasons,
Hmm...suppose spring and autumn fulfill that reason.
Leading us into our seasons of extremes,
Buffering our systems from
Summer and winter's radical differences,
And providing a little relief for our affronted senses. CJA