theawfulversefactory

Valentines Day .... Pahh

2012-02-06T22:04:00.000Z

Long haired lover from Liverpool. Bearded beastie from Basingstoke

Teenage tottie fromTOWIE. What ever happened to love ?

Has it homogenised and congealed with the passage of time

Children pissing and pouting. Demanding and demeaning

the remaining armour of amour into a grey nothingness.

Has contentment and permeability rendered romance into

and excusable blob of nothingness? What happen to the Spur of the moment?

To running hand in hand carefree through glades of primroses and blue bells.

Disappearing in a glorious carefree nakedness to frolic in warm lakes shielded from view by vigorous ,vibrant ever green trees.

Valentines if they stick around and grow old. No longer able to get up from one knee due to their arthritis. Where is fact some bits no longer work at all. In fact quite a lot of bits . Who either can’t hear or remember, who believe life was so much better at least half a life time ago. Much easier to love them as they are and simply slap the label on them of Grumpy grandpa

She still the love of his life, “The dolly with a trolley, “The Linda with the Legs” and the “Barbara with the bust” The Rose with no thorns who price is far above rubies even though the last ring was the price of a small car.Her body still beautiful but cut and scared by several surgeon from trying to deliver children and carry out “ essential repairs”. Where lines and drains leave marks like machine gun bullets

So is this what it means for teenage valentines caught meandering towards the septuagenarianism . The dream to grow old and weary together to shuffle off into some romantic haze of longevity and loveliness . Him with a stick and her on his arm in Nora batty Stockings off to feed ducks lakeside of an idyllic gravel paved nursing home.

Come on Wake up guys! Smell the coffee It is 2012 we no longer have enough money for this kind of love. The Baby boomers have pinched it all and run off. They have run off with all the money, our pension pots, our sickness pots even our job pots. They have left us with Nuclear subs we can’t get rid of. Apple phones ,HIV and call centres, walk in and crawl out health centres, Houses no young person can afford to buy and town to congested to accept any cars.

So it’s going to be Work until your Seventy than die the following Monday

theawfulversefactory Feb2012

Long Haired lover from Liverpool Was a 1980 reference to the Beatles

Bearded beastie from basigstoke Ricky Gervais

T O W I E The Only Way is Essex T4 Reality Docu Soap

Creational Engineering

2012-02-06T21:59:00.000Z

Calibrate your accuracy to the N’th degree

like to fire a gun through ten galaxy’s

then hit dead centre of a pea

Hurl stars into space

with pin point accuracy

Weigh and place planets

in perfect symmetry

Paint your world in living colours with ever changing hue

Sprinkle some large mountains and a dust dry dessert or two

Prepare this is not a quick job,

it will take some time

but even more of a problem

it will surely damage

the meter of this rhyme.

Make some very large tails for the back end of whales

Form the Ligaments in the knees of bumble bees

The gossamer wings of the smallest flees

Record history in trunk rings of ancient trees

Data stored in snow caps, rocks and river beds

Give everything that is living

a DNA thread

theawfulversefactory

september2011 Virginia Theological Seminary

Absent Vocation

2011-07-11T10:11:00.003+01:00

Absent Vocation

Through no fault of my own.

I have been unseated from my throne.

Of smug enjoyment

for a life time’s full employment.

So the world markets collapse.

and just perhaps

folk will get caught in the disaster.

Me thinks to mend it,Is going to take

more than just one sticking plaster.

So with no work to do.

I’ve joined the rock steady crew.

Of wrinklies working hard for no pay.

Well I can certainly say:-

“It beats boredom and shortens the day”

So here I am in semi retirement

Refusing to drown in an old fogey environment

Where I’ve nothing to do, nothing to say

My life has been ruined

just because there is no pay ?

I do not think so!

Theawfulversefactory July2011

School Days

2011-07-11T10:11:00.000+01:00

School days

Wool worsted shorts,

Hand knitted jumpers.

Long woollen socks,

Scuff toed shoes.

Long wavy hair,

dirty black nails.

Climbing trees,

cracking snails.

Walking to school,

home in the rain.

Academic excellence,

never learned

only pain.

Basher Badco,

Head with cane.

Always efficiently

delivering pain.

Old wooden desks

by bullies carved deep.

Some school memories,

better not to keep.

June 2011

No Requiem For a Rotavator

2011-03-07T21:36:00.001Z

When it was,

no one can remember.

Tom drove his prize home.

A gleaming Merry Tiller 380

polished cardinal red with trailer.

Attachments to hoe, scratch and sow.

Now,

that Florrie has passed on as well.

The new family settled for several years,

gardening last on their list, especially the mess

of ivy ,brambles right at the bottom,

over some sort of shed long since dead.

Eventually,

after much hacking, sweating, swearing,

they made it through to find her

blanketed, in worn out sacks and cobwebs,

a dirty brown rusting heap with handles,

a bygone of yesteryear.

Little did they know,

how man and machine had worked together

in harmony to hoe and sow, tend and grow

cabbage, sprouts, peas beans lettuce potatoes

You name it

Tom grew it.

Progress at last ?

Space cleared for the powerfloat concrete base

Horse boxes, tack rooms, hay store,

many sheds for, Oh! so many dreams

Why waste fuel and time growing food

that you can order direct to your door?

More fun to shovel shit than earth.

Today,

centre of the entrance pilloried in sun and snow,

embalmed with a left over cheap green paint.

A relic of yesteryear, a useless ornament

a pot of pelargoniums balanced on her tank

No epitaph,

No ending

No requiem.

theawfulversefactory march2011

Dr Suess

2011-02-07T22:01:00.000Z

Bruce the moose from Belrarus

made an excuse to visit Dr Suess.

A bright pink spot is whot he’s got.

Its chicken pox Bruce

a stay at home in your box mess moose

Do not wear socks, don’t swap your socks

for fear that the pox on your socks gets out of your box

That the mess on the moose spreads around the hoose

Now Goldilocks never had Chicken pox

Or the need to box her socks and pox with lots of locks

Instead Goldilocks had lots of Botox which turned her hair into dreadlocks

With nothing for a brainbox under her dreadlocks

Goldilocks forgot who she was

So she cut loose to follow footloose Bruce

the brainless moose

by now a very recluse moose stuck up a spruce

Both with dirty socks, chicken pox about the hoose

where Bruce the moose

was supposed to live but didn’t

because

goldilocks botox dreadloocks empty brainbox

unlocked the recluse moose stuck up a spruce

The chicken pox moose is all over the hoose

Every sock is out of the box

the keys are missing to all of the locks

Beware of Bruce the infected loose moose

Or

You too could get a bright pink spot

Just like Bruce from Belarus

The awfulversefactory Feb 2011

Mopstastic

2011-01-02T17:50:00.000Z

Swish, swish, swish

Perfectly toned muscles flexing in rhythm.

Wiping from side to side

Virgin white tiles

Glistening in the morning sun

Pine fresh fragrances ascend

The whole world refreshed

Then

The dogs bounds in

Time stands still

Then explodes

Wrath, frustration, anger.

Boiling over like erupting volcano

It will be sometime before normal conversation resumes

25/05/2010

The Chaos of Christmas

2011-01-01T16:59:00.000Z

The Chaos of Christmas

They start in September when it seems a long way off.

The TV ads and jingles ignored by most of us.

Then with Halloween and Fireworks behind us once again.

We start along the road of chaos, forgetting all that pain.

The shopping, pushing, barging, hefting, sweating,

running, wrapping, news letters, card making,

deadline posting, marathon.

The house sorting, bed making, towel folding,

bathroom cleaning, tree buying, fairy light fusing,

bauble, breaking temper trying, week end

Then they arrive,…………. the guests

Very much loved and welcomed but

L .A. T. E.

Trying so hard to stay awake LATE

traffic, engineering works, snow, leaves LATE,

Tomorrow you must get the bird in ! EARLY.

tired and aching you rise to

stuff, baste, wrap, peel, chop, scrape,

fold napkins, polish knives

Suppress the urge to panic,

Co ordinate multiple dishes into lineal order.

Urge husband to do “What he does to that Knife

Get people to sit around a table,

if that’s not to much to ask!!!!!!! Under breath !!!

Smiling sweetly pretending to be a glamorous super cook

The perfect hostess, manager of a hundred tasks

Whilst all the time you’re thinking if only

I had worn my old sheep skin slippers

instead of killer heels while cooking.

Christmas comes but once a year.

Next time we could fly off somewhere hot

Or spend days and nights in a freezing airport lounge

Nahhhhhh!

Have a sherry love?

Anything I can do to help?

Happy CHRISTmas every one

Paul & Rosemary 25/12/2010

Nothing much happens

2010-12-26T18:14:00.003Z

Scene 1

Jaberwoky cantered stoically onwards

Past horizons of disbelief

To a land bereft of development.

Jaberwoky or Pete for short

Ungainly with a gently ugliness

Nothing much was expected

Disappointment was never an issue.

Scene 2

Pagan conundrums a galaxy combined

while knarled bark illuminates a concordance.

Challenging airstreams to battle minus magnetic charge

iced rocks ascend to larger conurbations.

Pete decides enough is enough.

Scene 3

The start seemed an ordinary day

Nothing strange or irregular to hand

Jaberwoky viewed it with suspicion

Expecting the worst provided good moments

When the worst was not as bad as expected

Scene 4

Silver shards of memory made fast

the backs of crabs high in the trees.

Songs afar were heard by none

concealed by life’s exotic plumage.

Pete relaxed amid the apparent discord

The Sound of Silence

2010-11-25T21:40:00.002Z

The cold night of Kenya’s Rift Valley

Brought shivers to my sleepy soul

Surrounded by silence

The noise of twinkling stars

Kept the moon awake

The sound silence punctuated by sounds

high in the gum trees

a Gibbon shouts a territorial call

Hgwogh,

Hgwogh

Hgwoghhhh

Loud deep and menacing

The night belonged to him.

for

I was sure

That

He was sure

It was going to stay that way

So I stayed well clear

Off him

Waiting the sunrise

I shivered half from cold and excitement in equal parts

Like a young boy with his new torch.

A cockerel interrupted the silence miles away

With a clarion call of Cock a doodle dooooo

Barely heard and to no effect on the sleepy world

Then at last the reply came

From the opposite direction

Cock a doodle Yoooooo

Then again from another outpost

Cock a doodle whoooooo

I was in the epicentre of cockerel communication

Over the whole township

High in the mountains the deep throated throb of a big lorry

It’s belching putrid black smoke obscured by the night

Starting to trudge around mountain roads avoiding pots holes in the dark

Dogs were awake calling and yowling for food

Then birds started their day singing at full voice

The silence was gone

All the world awake

And up

And at them

Except those for those who had little hope

Little food

Little comfort

Better to stay in bed

To ignore the new day for as long as possible

Theawfulversefactory

(Work in progress/Jan 2010

In My Tool Box

2010-11-25T21:38:00.002Z

Is a

Spokeshave, sash filleter, Retractable Stanley knife. Slate ripper, Slate hammer, Claw hammer, Pin hammer, Lump hammer, Sledge hammer, Crow bar, Nail bar, Nail gun, Glue gun, glue pot, paint pot, paint brush, paint roller, paper roller, paper brush, dust pan and brush, Wet and dry Hoover, Jet washer, Steam washer, Dust sheet, Plastic protective carpet film, Lazer level, dumpy level, spirit level, line level …… On dear out of level

Smoothing plane, Rebate plane, plough plane, side rebate plane, shoulder plane, moulding plane, ovolo plane, bull nose plane, electric plane electric drill, core drill, long reach drill, hand drill, battery drill, Battery impact screw driver, Pump screw driver, Rachet screw driver, hand screw driver hand saw, Tenon saw, Coping saw, Fret saw, Bow saw, Rip saw, Hack saw, jig saw Skill saw………….. more that enough to cut the bottom of a door

So you want holes

A Hole saw, Twist drill, Flat bit, Three way bit, Auger bit, Countersunk bit, Diamond drill, Diamond disk, Diamond sharpening stone, Diamond cutter.

You will want holes in bricks, stone, steel, glass, plastic, marble, roof tile wall tile, wood , carpet , vinyl floors

Then you ask for hooks

Coat hooks, cup hooks towel hooks, key hook, lead hooks utensil hooks curtain hooks, Curtain tie backs and just hooks about here!

Than after searching through my tools box

I find

There is no

Pencil

Anywhere!!!!!!

A work in progress poem. The problems are to have tools that people relate too. Ideas that follow on from the previous tools. Some bits that ordinary people identify with. Some thing that is nice to read and has some good sounds in it. Pictures to be added

Life in the Fast Lane

2010-11-25T21:36:00.002Z

****************Life in the fast lane !!!!

Woa ( Frantic)

Woaaaa (Loudly)

Steady( Confidant)

steadeeeeeeeeeeeee ( calm)

S l o w d o w n (Slowly)

Sto ---------p ( quietly)

( pause) (pause again)

Whew ------At Last !!!!!

That’s Better ( relieved)

Time to scribble a few words ( Thoughtfully)

Why has life been so hectic ?

Why am I so busy ?

Where has the recession gone ?

Will this be all the work there is ?

Questions,,, , Questions

But ( Stressed again)

I have no time to ask these questions.

I must keep working.

( Urgent) I must keep chasing. I must try harder

I must work longer, cheaper, quicker, better, cleaner.

Collect the money

Try not to spend money

Try to save for a rainy day

Save for the Tax Man

Pay the Vat man

R e t i r e m e n t (incomprehensible)

Theawfulversefactory 23/3/2010

Help!!! I'm stuck in a bog

2010-11-25T21:35:00.000Z

Cutting, sticking, nailing, screwing ,shaping, bending, fitting, painting, tiling

Making Kitchens, bathrooms, doors, locks hooks windows catches. shelves,, skirtings,

Using Stools, steps, ladders, trestles, scaffolds, platforms.

Estimating, , Measuring, Drawing, Invoicing. Talking, Phoning ,Emailing, Texting, Faxing

………………Praying?

Just an ordinary day.

When you do not steal , time, money, stationary, take unfair advantage

When you do what you said you would

When you admit you were wrong.

When you tell people what you do on a Sunday.

Just an ordinary day.

Cutting, sticking, nailing, screwing, shaping, bending, fitting, painting, tiling

Making Kitchens, bathrooms, doors, locks hooks windows catches. shelves,, skirtings,

Using Stools, steps, ladders, trestles, scaffolds, platforms

Estimating Measuring, Drawing, Invoicing Talking, Phoning, Emailing Texting, Faxing

……………….Praying?

Another ordinary day.

theawfulversefactory 21/07/2010

I tend not to include Jesus with the ordinary stuff of life, I want to be polite and not bother him with the inane and mundane, there are other people in the world, so he is sure to be busy.

But I know I should, after all he was a carpenter like me, he understands Face Side, Under shoot, 3 point perspective, linked Excel columns, bad debt and temptation.

So I’m not good at praying.

More like a conversation on a long walk. There are silent moments, chatty moments, Help!!! I’m stuck in a bog moments, best mate moments.

So I’m grumpy and not the best of company most of the time, but I believe HE wants to share the journey with me, Warts and all.

Not just meet me at the end of it.

Paul Sowden

Carpenter/ Master Builder

Tunnel Diving

2010-11-25T21:33:00.000Z

Percy Penguin, Tony Tortoise, Harry Hare and Beatrice Rabbit

Fluffy toys adorned the helmets of my unknown flying companions

Five of us sat together on the hard leatherette bench

While the soft whine of the mechanical door deliberately closed

Beating hearts waited for massive jet fans to start

In turn we dived the upward air jet.

Floating with a variety of skill

Dropping

Through

17000ft

Of air

space

but staying on the same floor

120miles an hour of wind hits hard

you

dive in

Alone

your head shouts :-

stay level, maintain altitude, do not hit the far wall, turn right, turn right, stop, go down abit,stay level, go back, shorten legs, drop left knee, turn right, steady, drop right knee, go left, go down abit, follow instructor, go to mark on floor, Head up, legs up, stomak down, go down.Stop arm out turn right go up to mark on wall, head down Extend arms, flatten legs, Head for door. Go out. Whew !!!

No one can hear you

conversation.impossible , you mouth over full with wind

communication reduced to hand signals

adrenalin hungry junkies

hungry for yet another fix

Play at vast expense

The only difference between men and boys

Is the price of their toys

October 2010

September Summer

2010-11-25T21:30:00.002Z

Sizzling September summer days

Sooth the soul ready for winter

Faded leaves fanned by the breeze

Decorate hillsides red, yellow, orange, green

Lazy birds casually scour the trees, happy with their healthy young

Barbecues litter the lawn, hopeful of further use

The world and his wife rest easy, another tabloid Sunday

A bonus day of nothingness unexpectedly from out of the blue

Theawfulversefactory

10/10/2010

Home

2010-11-25T21:28:00.002Z

They say:-

Home is where your heart is.

Where you hang your hat,

Lay your head.

Home is not just walls and roof

The posh address,

The flash car,

The tidy garden

Home is where you get around to things

The squeaky door,

The broken catch

The lumpy sofa

Home is just home.

With familiar smells,
Comfortable, reassuring, restful.

Home really is

Where your heart is

Where you hang your hat

Where you lay your head

November 2010 theawfulversefactory

January

2010-01-09T17:16:00.000Z

January

( more month than pay cheque)

Ducks walk ice with unsteady feet.

On frozen lake edged snow laden trees.

Rutted roads, whitened, silent,

but for calling distant voice.

Everything to do.

But to cold to go

Lost on high hillside.

Hungry sheep huddle.
Waiting airlifted hay.
Snow laid.

Snow on snow

Everything to do.
But to cold to go.

Ice cold bedrooms with frozen glass.
Frozen pipes, stone cold baths.
Hot log fires, draughty doors,

Not much better being indoors.

To get dressed in bed.

Was such a great invention

Furlined hats and pure wool coats.
Warm leather boots,
scarf covered throats

Breath like fire against the sky.

So before you travel,
Just ask Why?

Now picture a life of perfect ease.
Draughty houses now double glazed.
Warm log fires, good food and wine.

Spending money to the end of time.

So before you buy,
Just ask why?

The rains come with cold dark nights
The bills come with financial frights
Winter comes with menacing delight
Never ending
Never caring
Taking me down with her
Down
down
A tunnel
With no light

31/12/2090

The Pastor with only one Pen

2009-12-22T12:43:00.001Z

Amidst the mud of a Molo township.

In the back streets far from view.

There's an old pig shed now redundant.

Where cold winds often blow through.

Brushed and scrubbed for hours.

Emblazoned with yards of lace.

With coloured cloths on every table.

this is now,

a Worship Space.

Amidst the congregation

are children by the score

Escaping the situation

of simply just being poor.

Of being abused,

Then beaten

or sometimes

not

eating at all !!!!

Tomorrow

is out of the question.

Just to far away

To hope

Some are just mearly surviving.

Others may not make it

At all !!

But cheer up they have a Pastor

A poor man with no computer

Named after the apostle Paul

He alway's try's to keep his shoes clean

Walking all day the dusty roads
Seeking food for twenty Children

Maize, sugar and cooking oil

22/12/2009
Celebrating the visit of Pastor Paul Kingori voice of Gosple church Molo Kenya to Belmont Chapel Exeter

Kenyan men who do not work with their hands are noted to have a least two posh pens in the top shirt pocket and walk around with clean polished shoes depiste the dust . Paul is a man who considers 1 Bic plastic pen will suffice

Family Christmas

2009-12-22T12:10:00.000Z

There is no where to sit on a fat Santa's lap.

I don't like turkey so I feed it to the cat.

Christmas crackers with a sad corny joke.

It's a happy,stange,funny day, with all of my folk.

Dad in Gran's jumper for only a day.

Mum in a frock looks so yesterday.

Gran peels sprouts as if there's no end.

Family at Christmas can drive you round the bend.

Grandpa smokes hidden out of the way

High school musical has a hold of my Sis,

for her to watch endlessly, is total bliss.

It's a happy, stange, funny sort of day.

I only want the presents and play with my mates

Get muddy and dirty and stay out late

but this is the one day we stay as a team

It's a together thing

A family thing

That is the dream

Nativity

2009-12-08T19:48:00.000Z

There is nowhere to sit

on a really chubby Santa.

There is no real work

for a shepherd in pyjamas.

You need more than granny's shawl

to become a proper Mary.

To try and be a wise man

yet always make mistakes

To try and make a difference

when everyone always takes.

THIS CHRISTMAS

Stop.

Turn around

Hit the ground.

Hear that sound.

Running.

Straining.

Reaching

For the ultimate experiance

Life in no longer make believe

carefully wrapped in a tea towel.

Scrutinised.

Sanitized.

Sorted.

Into understandable grades of goodness

A snow whitened

green tree's perfect scene.
Carefully conceals a season's sadness.

theawfulversefactory

29/11/2009

Sorry for the bad spelling

2009-12-08T19:45:00.000Z

When you think about it it is obvious. The first time I post a blog that is the one you get. Even though I have a chance to amend it later. A few minutes later. In future I will be more careful with my first post. More Christmas poems to follow

The Chudleigh Cat

2009-11-11T23:08:00.000Z

THE CHUDLEIGH CAT

A fibreglass feline stalks the hot tiled roof

of a house that watches Church Graves.

The Church tower clock stands so aloof

Looking down on a street of slaves.

The daily ritual called "The School Run"

Who all ignore their daily grind.

Rather enjoying others company and fun

Ever hopeful for a good days find.

So what for the cat and the car lined street?

What for the graves aligned so neat?

What for the post office and postal vans?

What for the visitors and their caravans?

Greeted by bunting now tired and sad,

Flapping sadly unable to make glad.

What for the yellow lines a warden patrols

For it only on a Tuesday he bothers to call

So our fibreglass feline stalks the hot tiled roof

Watching carefully all moves as if for proof.

All the comings and goings of our local folk

Some of the things seen are a bit of a joke.

But we are a friendly town there is no doubt

Always time for a chat when out and about.

Porl 27/10/2009

The Dentist

2009-11-11T09:55:00.000Z

The DENTIST
          I
              nervousley dash
                    to make the date,
                            but then have to wait
                                         and wait
                                                   and wait .
                                                         and answer questions
  not wanting to give the right answer

For it is bad enough
   having my own teeth drilled
                          and filled,
                                    flossed,
                                       swooshed
                                                 and polished.
But to take my child to this torture chair
                                                         I despair
                                                                  I care
                                                                         I cry
                                                                               but try not to show it!
she is young
                she is brave
                                 she is innocent
                                                she is trusting
                                                          and believing when.
She( the dentist ) says a little scratch,
                                                   that is what it will be.

Not an invasive needle inserted with gagging pain.

Like he father she lays there
                                Passive,
                                    Massive in confidence
                                                            no sense of fear
                                                                             not needing me.

i tremble at the sight of the needle.
i quake at the sound of the drill.
i sit there and watch.
wishing i could take her pain.
annoyed that she does not need me.
                                             Like i need her.

Then it is over.
                I take her back to school.
                                                She leaves without a second glance.

Porl 08/10/2009

Hiaku's for Christmas

2009-10-18T15:09:00.000+01:00

Peace

Omnipotent God.

Came into this world a child.

Perfect peace possible.

Joy

The True moment.

When everlasting joy arrived.

A new Star was born.

Love

Gave everything

To the disadvantaged

With out any charge made

Hope

Those who had nothing.

Became regal and wealthy.

Dreams became real.

Who is looking after the Cows?

2009-09-06T18:29:00.000+01:00

We were told that the re- entry process back into home life would not be straight forward and as simple as we would first think. For one member of the team she had concerns about who was looking after all the English cows left in the field on their own. Some one could steal so easily such a valuable asset , there would be no one there to stop them. For me I look guiltily at my large lawn that seems to grow about an inch of grass each day of lush nutritious grass. 70 Kenyan cows could gorge themselves silly for a whole day, yet I spend an hour mowing it.
Strange to think that after only 21/2 weeks in Kenya that our standards are so quickly challenged and possibly re adjusted for good.
People ask " So what was the best bit for you?" then you stand and look silly unable to give a coherrant answer, because there were so many best bits and so many bad bits.
Best Bits:-
Cutting 250 bits of ribbon for craft work with Mike Holding late into the night
Sunrise at St Andrews School 5.30 am, Listening to Cockeral calling each other about 2miles away at all four points of the compass. Then the birds, Then the lorries. Then the Sunrise
Sunrise At Camp Robert
Fresh Cooked bread rolls with the soup every night
Working hard with the team
Getting home to Heathrow being met by my wife and eldest daughter
Bad Bits
So closely having a very bad accident when the van so nearly went off the road into a 6ft deep ditch
Getting stuck in a nature reserve with a broken down van, broken starter motor and a driver who had to reboot his phone every time he wanted to make a call. A little bit scary !!!!
Nakuru Being pesetered by a street boy , high on glue, constantly begging for money for 45 mins or trying to pick my pockets.
Seeing thousands of acres of maize crops that had failed, not grown because of drought. An impending famine is due.
Yes we did achieve our goals.
We ran a holiday club at Molo for 130 street children.
We took 180 individual photos and presented each child with their own printed photo.
We visited Children in the Nakuru Childrens Prison and the Sunshine Childrens home
We visited three separate churches and home churches during a week night evening
We worked at the Matumaini Rehabilitation centre for Children with special needs, carried out assements, Gave staff training and computer training and assistance to staff.
Some of the things we did were so basic that we almost over look them as being part of the help we provided, but some of our simple tasks were of tremedous help to the people there at the time.

So we have come back, each recieved far more than we gave. Fifteen people each with a separate story to tell, but most of stories have no end yet, most of us can not see the end as yet. We are now trying to write reports, meet people for feed back, tell them what we think, possibly where we should go. what to do next !

One thing is certain. You can not bring Africa home in a bucket, you have to go there and smell it first hand.

This is the final blog on Kenya. I will edit and tidy up previous posts later and possibly add some pictures. My dear father in law Keith Markham wants to publish this series of blogs. Not sure where that is going but we will wait and see.

Laying Bricks in the Dark

2009-08-24T17:42:00.001+01:00

Like digging a tunnel out of Colditz.
Like assembling furniture when blind.
Like peeling an apple with one hand.
like laying bricks in the dark.

But working in Molo is like this.
Where hungry,barefoot people just exist.
you can not see what you are doing.
Yet a building slowly rises brick by brick
Because your laying bricks in the dark.

Peoples lives are changed here in molo,
and the colour of thier skin is white.
They come and see and get dusty.
They weep.They rage.They Laugh.
Because your laying bricks in the dark.

and so this edifice you are building.
Without plans or tools or cash
without any hope of ever ending.
you wonder how long YOU can last.
Because your laying bricks in the dark.

and so when the last trumphet is sounded.
When your earthly journey is done.
When above high clouds your ascended.
when the light on your life is then shone.

You will see fields with trees,
with crops that grow ,with
houses where people can sleep.
then thousands of healthy, fed people.
Spring from the sunshine to welcome you home.

All because you laid bricks in the dark.

A tribute to Chris & Sonia Donnan
International Teams Workers
Molo
Kenya
Sat 08/08/09

Quote of the Trip

2009-08-24T17:40:00.000+01:00

We are going back to England

With empty suitcases that are full of hearts.

Charlie Steer

15/08/09

A Prayer of a Molo Man

2009-08-24T17:38:00.000+01:00

Thank you Lord for the recent rain.
Now Our Crops will grow.
We will have food to eat.
We willl have spare food to sell.

Friday 21st. Kembu Campsite to Doha AAirport

2009-08-24T15:39:00.000+01:00

It was a slow start to the morning, Still no hot water, Note to self, "This is Africa". be calm. I could no longer lie in bed my cough was getting to bad. I wandered around the campsite in the cool at around 6.30am. Breathing in the clean air, the song of the birds. And then the vista from the rise of the site some 20 - 30 km of green fields , hedges trees and cows,mistily painted in the rising sunlight like a painting by Turner of some other famous artist.

Yes Kenya is a beautiful but harsh mistress, one moment you are in love, you love the people, you love every thing. Then she punishes you, you feel pain, you weep, you rage. You just Shout You!You !You! Exasperated, Wounded , Disappointed hardly able to pick yourself up off the floor ever again. Then slowly with square miles after square miles of Flamingo you forgive her and start the process off all over again.
We had breakfast and met up with Mary and her husband Wilberforce. Wilberforce is the headmaster of Molo Primary School. and Mary is the lady the Molo team are likely to raise enough money to employ her on a two year contract as a business manager at the Matumaini Rehabilitation centre. It would not be up to us to appoint her but it was great meeting her..
We started travelling home at 9.30 am Called in at Nakuru to link up with the market shopping team . This was swiftly down, Well relatively except we had to get out of the Usual Nakuru traffic Jam.. On to Nairobi, Behind every lorry and van ,all belching black diesel fumes all slow and worn out. eventually into Nairobi. To a mother of all traffic jams. About 5 roundabouts in duration. A low cloud ensured that the smog over and under the clouds was of dark grey intensity. Blowing around as large clouds of fumes as we sat in traffic queues for nearly an hour.
We made the airport only 11/2 hours before take off. Then had to queue in order to scan our bags before even getting into the building. There is only one machine the nicely jacketed attendant told us there is nothing more you can do.
We eventually made it to the desk. All the bags went through the machine as a bulk lot anyhow. We had to find various bags on several different trolleys. In order for them to go through with the right person was pandemonium . The desk supervisor quickly established we were a team of 15 who they were waiting for and used 4 desks to process us. More delays were encountered getting through immigration, because they are not worried about time. We walked straight onto the plane settled down and in no time the plane was pushing back.
It was a 5 hour flight to Doha. We emerged from the plane in the dark to a humid 34Deg C temperature which instantly misted up your specs and made you gasp for cool air.
We then had a 6 hour airport lounge wait before flying over night to London Heathrow. The difference in culture from Molo to Doha is vast is was an early glimpse of what life was like back at home.

Thurs 20th Kembu Campsite & Nakuru park

2009-08-24T15:13:00.000+01:00

Thursdays is a power cut day, we were used to this now. we all got up early in the dark and had an amazing cooked breakfast. All was well .Africa was behaving herself this morning. she was a beuatifull princes. The houses we all had were exquisite, individual and fantastic, but we were up early to see animals in the park in the cool. Excitement engulfed the team. We forgave our minibus which yesterday due to faulty streering rack and badly inflated tires had brought us within a few inches of being hurled down a 6 foot deep ravine with dire consequense. We forgave the bus whose engine was so worn out that it went up streep hills only in first gear. We were in love. Africa smiled, As we drove out the sun rise was perfectly placed between two large acacia trees, just under the curved crown of each tree. It was going to be a good day.

We made it thorugh Nakuru at around 7.00 am They town was just getting up. people were only just on the streets going to work. The stall sellers had not realy got going yet, it was unusually calm.

We made Nakuru park, Checked in with cash, Student Cards & official letter accepting our cards. Form then things went down hill. We were caught head on in a wave of African greed. Making every excuse to charge the full price + extras after waiting for nearly two hours for the right manager to come in we still did not manage to secure our promised rate in fact it changed upwards at every move. We scrapped around the team for more cash, credit cards do not work in this country at all anmd eventually made it in. we imediately saw a lepard high in the sandstone rocks, square miles of Falmingo flocks, so the lake was pink. water buffalow, Zebra, Hogs, Monkey's various. Lioness, Herd of Zebra Baboon Over view was amazing with a high vantage point view over the whole park.

More excitement / angziety was experience by our bus when the driver took a wrong turn. When to turn around in a narrow track and stalled the van. The starter motor which was supposed to have been repaired the night before had not been done. His attempts at calling the other driver were frustrated by his having to reboot his old mobile phone every time he wanted to make a call. After about 30mins another vehicle came along the two team pushed the van out of the ditch and bumped started it. He then went to turn again and got stuck in the ditch again. We all pushed him out but were all covered in the omst thick , black acrid diesel smoke i have ever seen.

By this time my throat was begining to suffer the effectes of Kenya road dust and black diesel fumes. Despite all the hassle, the heartache and tears, for there were many at the start of the day. It was an amazing experience.
I have now learnt to hate and love Africa in the same breath.
The evening at Kembu Campsite a relaxing experience, except a shower was not possible because there was no hot water due to the power cut. I stayed dirty and African that night

Wed 19th Roberts Camp to Bagoria lake

2009-08-24T14:39:00.000+01:00

Again it was an early start. 6.00 am on the lakeside in a deck chair watching the day turn light. I should have been up at 5.30 to see the herd of Hippo's return to the water. They lay dozing just off the shore edge about 6 - 8 of them, with out glasses they looked like a rock, but the wide mouthed yawning gave them away. Breakfast At 6.30 and then a lake boat trip to see a great many small birds. Hippo's. Monitor Lizards suning on the rocks preparing for the day.Three local fishermen in Balsa Rafts of traditional design, quite beautifuly made. Sea Eagles who eventually after alot of whistling from our boat man , I mean we gave up and thought this was a display of whistling and throwing the same bit of fish into the water all day. But the Eagle performed beautifully and flew in and pulled the fish from the water. Those who took the advise of the boat man to focus on the fish got the shot. those of us that didn't missed it. We ended with quite large Croc's sunning themselves before a bit of fishing. On the whole a stunning boat trip. The whole team were over joyed and happy. What a great way to finish a relief project .

We than set off again to travel back past the Equator. The land turned from dry to green, the roads never got any better. A land of goats then included a few cows and then a large field of cows, A large field some 20+ acres ,full of cows easily a thousand, trying to feed off a field of maize where the crop had failed, there was no green to be seen anywhere. All the cows were emancipated and hungry. People were cutting down acacia trees to feed the animals. people were cutting acacia trees to make charcoal. What they do not realize is they are raping the land, because Acacia trees help make rain but Cacti do not.

We stopped briefly at Bagoria hotel for a comfort break. The off to Bagoria lake. 13kilometres of shore line decorated continuously with Flamingo on both sides. Yes 26 km of Flamingo non stop. At the end of the lake from the entrance we several hot geysers water spouts. Shooting boiling water at pressure into the air. There was a smell of steam, Flamingo, dead Flamingo where the weak and young had strayed into hot water zone over night and boiled alive

It is amazing how such a hostile environment supports such beauty.

The Survival of the fittest.

The Weak die at the waters edge,

Or in the boiling waters of the geysers.

The revulsion of dead birds

The smell of disappointment

The barrenness of the stone terrain.

Which just radiates even more heat,

Where there is already to much.

we had a meal and a much needed swim at Bagoria hotel and then started our journey back to Kembu campsite. Back not far from Molo.

The Journey was long and tiresome. the last 7 kilometres was the worst road we had ever been on. it ran alongside pristine fields of barley, both sides of the road, in total 7 km wide stretching back to the top of the hill approx 3km.

Besides some 40+ sq Km of prime corn was this dreadful tiring road.

I was tired.

I was tired and cross with Kenya

I hated Kenya

The romance was over.

I wanted to forget what I have seen.

I want to pretend it is not like this.

Tuesday 18th Turi to Roberts Park

2009-08-24T14:06:00.000+01:00

It was a made rush to start the day. The usual writing of yesterdays blogg and email to Rosemary for an hour then off to breakfast last minute. ( I am now writing this at home, on broadband !!! wow, and a functioning space bar !)

Breakfast was over bags were packed , all the blankets were stored in one bedroom to be washed and a pile of donated clothes and equipment was stored to gether in another bedroom. This was divided into clean and then dirty, some of the clothes we had worn yesterday along with shoes ,boots and teaching books. There were so many things that we take for granted, possibly not worth much to us but a God send to people here with so few resources.

At last all the team got into 2 mini buses, there was a slightly more mature team and I was banished to sit up front of the young peoples bus. Pulling out we started sings as a good bye to the Donnan's..... Donnan's we do. Donnan's we do. Donnans we do, Donnanns we love you ! over and over again.

We struggled to keep going because our van had great problems in reversing out of the space up a slight incline that it took about 5 attempts to get onto the drive way. the song did die very slightly towards the end. We were to realise later just how African the vehicle we now found ourselves in actually was.

We trundled down the drive of St Andrews school and failed to notice just how bumpy the drive was. This was because we were now so accustomed to a bumpy road and that this van had shock absorbers that actually worked.

We travelled North to the equator which took just a little longer than an hour. a couple of large signs beside the road, a painted white line, a few reasonable tidy buildings and some street traders. Photo's were taken, Comfort breaks made and the usual banter with traders who do not take not for an answer ever!

As soon as we left the equator to the south of us the land very quickly became more arrid. We crossed many rivers, ( 8 - 10) some nearly as wide as the river Exe at home but all were dry. By now the pathetic herds of cows had disappeared an only goats were to be seen. there was no green to be seen anywhere, even the acacia trees were bar, only green cacti were flourishing. Mother carried large umbrellas to shelter the babes swathed to their backs.

This was a land moments away from being a dessert, many people hungry waved at us to give them food. most of them still had mobile phones. I wondered was this the new exploitation of the poor and needy

An old man walks by while we wait to gain entry at the park entrance. He is wafer thin. just black skin wrapped over his skeletal frame.

We made Robert's Park around 2.00pm the air was very hot. We were all greated with dream cottages wrapped around the lake. Ours a sort of colonial cottage with a large thatched veranda was perfect to spend the afternoon dozing and just watching the birds come and feed at your feet . Fisher birds and White Heron fish the shore line untill the heat of the afternoon slowly subsided.

A nature walk around the site commenced with about 10 of the team joining in. Perhaps I am a misserable git but with all their chatter of this and that they seemed to clear all the wild life in front of them. Standing quitely still for period at a time natuire got used to your being their and started searching again for their evening meal.

We had our meal in the sticky , dark evening. then walked home with our guide to find hippos earting the grass in the dark outside our cottage

It was the end of a perfect day

You can not bottle Happy Church Molo

2009-08-18T04:07:00.000+01:00

Like Devon Uk, Molo Kenya has a beauty all of it's own. Living in St Andrews School Turi on a vast 300 acre site A large complex of single storey class rooms with beautifully raked ( Each Day) lawns between with exotic flower beds along the length of each building. Containing flowers and exotic palms consisting , to us thousands of pound. Grow like the bind weed that invades my garden. We can walk over more grass pitches than I can be bothered to count. Each on marked out for yet another sport. There is a vast wood land area with 150 foot high gum trees, all carefully farmed nothing is wasted.
You forget that you are contained behing a 9 foot high electric fence. Gaurded by a team of around 12 security gaurds all day long and another team all night.
Yet despite all this apparent luxury and beauty of Africa you cannot do what you want, when you want. EVER !!!****** :-(

I have not been able to get onlinefor several days because the internet went down. My Mobile will only lock on to the right provider sometimes and willnot use another companyt becuasethey will not share traffic.

Kenya
Where most things are worn out,
Broken, cracked, split, damaged.
Kenya
Where bit'saremissing, loose and wobbly.
Kenya
Where it creaks,sways,slips, slides,bumps jolts.
Kenya
Aland for the people
NOT building and possesions
Kenya
In their poverty
They gave us only from their best.

SATURDAY
A day oFf for all. a slow start in the morning.
Afternoon Travel to Nakuru for a restaurant meal and shopping.

Crowded streets and traffic
Fabric shops, bead shops
Every corner had a stall
Glue sniffing, out of their minds street kids
Begging for money bumping you and trying to pick your pocket
Not leaving you because you were rich picking
Never giving up. Never leaving you side
Because you would carelessly drop you gaurd
Aa large prize would be theirs.
Anything you had wopuld be worth money
To them you were a walking cash machine.

Masari Street Market.
It was raining. Most had their stalls covered. I only wanted small animals for Ellen and Stephenand possibly a bowl. I got quite angry with a man becausehe started at 6000 Shilling Some where around £50+ I walked away did not shout but said he had insulted me with such a high price. I do not like feeling cheated, but I also feel guilty about having to drop a price down to somewhere around 800 shilling which is what it was worth. I found the animal 4 and dropped the price from 600 to 400. I would liked to have browsed more. But the harrasement is to much. I alsowanted to give my spare money to Chris and Sonia to use properly and not waste it on trinklets. This is a starving country. Some people are not eating forthree days nowand and strill they are not listed as starving. It does make you think about you values whenamounst these people.
SOME OF USE ARE DREADING GOING HOME BECAUSE WE FEAR THE RE ENTRY PROCCESS INTO WESTERN LIFE.

SUNDAY
Three hours of Happy Church Molo......... What A party Church is here. It is loud. It is dancing. It is waving. It is singing at the top of you voice. It is prayers for 20mins non stop It is asermon about sharing. Even though you have very little food leftnow you have to share. You haveto share with you brother who is not in your tribe. It is a messagethat is very simple. But very practical, Muddy ,dusty, worn out country
You cannot bottle happy church, There is not even a dirty plastic water barrel big enough to carry it. You cannot watch it on wide screen video. You have to be here. Dance the dance. Sing the prayer. Cry the tears, weep for joy. Happy church. Where people work for 6 days then work twice as hard on Sunday For God. What a great People. We Brits Feel very small and shallow in the presenceof such apoor but great people. The Belmont Choir Now known As Wall of Sound sang again. We were brough up to the platform to be prayed overandsent backto Belmont. It was alomst as if we were being sent back as a new people. We Were being sent to Belmont from Molo as members of the Molo Church.
eHadabout three hours off and then back to Molo Post office for Happy church. Open air church. "To send a letter" It was so loud the speakers, not good, were distorting with joy. it was lundit was gospel. There was crowd of 350 with crowded streets. A cow walked through the crowd.. It Songs, Prayers, Youth dance team, Boys dance team, Wall of Sound from the land of our Queen. It was international event, From England and Jamaca. Chris Played Trombone and Sonia sang How great thou art, With Belmontup on the stage again.
The Message was Luke15 We Have Never Heard amessagequite like this. The younger son and pigs hastaken on a new meaning especilay whenthe appeal is to young people in the crowd who have not been home for 5 years to go home and see theirfather. These people live right on the edge.
MONDAY
Was heads down for the last time. Somewereable to go and say good bye to the projects. Pam Reeve and the Matumaini team went to carry out proffesional assesments on all the20 disbaled children. AMassiveTask.
Fran&I sat down to write an instruction manual for Pastor David to use his computer Email and Desktop. A massive hard 7 hour task for both of us. Eventually after crashing the computer 3 times, Printing here on this equipment does not take minuetes or the press of a button it takes frustration and lots of time.
We sit in our English homes and do not understand the trails that people in the field put up with on a daily basis. Fran and I condemedthis equipment about 5 times yesterday and just lookedat each other in despair.
The end of the day was the high light in a very special way, having previousley decided how to distribute halfof of fund raising we all reached a decision to sponsor a Centre Manager at Matumaini, A local Woman is in the frame and can start quickly, We are going to Raise £4500+ for two years. This will mean that the centre will stay open for at least two years. Chris and Sonia are likely to stay out here for another three years now.
Al lscary and exciting stuff.

Now off to breakfast. The on aposh coach for three days hols. Unlikely to beany furether blogs now untill I get home. Thanks again for allyour prayers. I will add a final blog to end the story. This is likley to be a new web site "teammolo"For up date news overthe next two years.

regards

Paul

Is Church like Doha Airport

2009-08-15T06:33:00.000+01:00

When you sit in a comfortable chair , in a comfortable building, with a nice clean white porcelain loo. when you shoes are clean and your clothes are clean and not covered in brown dust.
Some missionary comes along and opens by saying" We have so many stories to tell" You just sit there and Go " Oh yeah" Here we go again.
Sorry to say guys but Team Molo all 15 of us have become the boring people with amazing stories to tell, while you sit there and say " Oh Yeah.
Yesterday was the last official day of both holiday clubs We gave out 153 portrait photo's and over the week end I have to produce another 38. For me it was a privilege to see the faces of disabled African children, In dirty cloths, some on wonky wheel chairs see picture of them selves for the first time... Amazing..........Absolutely Amazing !!!!!!
At the end of the day we all went to ,( I call her Scary Rose) a primary school headteacher, who had just retired, who Sonia has captured to work in the Street Children project, house for tea. We had the afternoon rain which at last were very heavy. We headed into the back of Molo down mud streets. Then down a step side street into the better part of town. It was raining so hard the sheep and chickens were sheltering under the bushes reaching over the fences. The van with 14 people in it crammed full eventually came to a rest after sliding 180 Degrees with lost of screaming from the girls And poor Jan who day it was to have the bad stomack to feel even worse.
We were escorted in twos under umbrella to the front room. 27 of us crammed into one room perching on sofa arms and crammed together like a London subway. We all told our names. Laughed and sang each other songs in our mother tongue. They sang in Swahelli a love song and a local song. We again sang our standard of The Lords my Sheppard Celtic version and a holiday club song. A very special moment yet again. Tired holiday club leaders all tired but revived by this event.
We made it back to school for a meal. I was hungry had not been able to eat during the day as to involved, but it did not matter. One cup of their local tea is like liquid mars bars anyway.
The evening feedback session was very special. Quite tearful and that was just the men. "So many Stories to tell " From each and every person. Even Pastor David Sagwa with who I have been working Shared how God had touched his life .it was a wonderful moment and I am crying as I write this !
As I ponder the future, will church be like Doha Airport? Large spacious halls with marbled floors and every thing you could possibly need inside . But Doha Air port is locked in the middle of the dessert. Every supply is flown in with out it ever touching the ground. Every thing is tagged and not lost. Everything is neatly packed on pallets and in the right place.

Perhaps we will need to set foot out of our ivory palaces, Get some desert dust on our boots. Gamble the one talent we have been given. Experience the fear of having absolutely nothing. Try and run of a completely empty tank and realise we are helpless.
Then as my Brother in law Ian says:- " We will make a space for God to work in our lives"

Friday 18th August 2009 was a very good day

Listening

2009-08-14T05:13:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was busy and long. Frustrations a plenty but hey this is Africa. After 4+ hours last evening trying to print the last 6, A4 pages of Children photo's on a computer, Our own Machine had used up all it's supplies I went to my room to frantically try and concoct some story for the morning
Sleep was deemed to be a short affair last night and I was awake early What better time I thought to go and watch the stars and then the sunrise.
I did go . It was cold. It was dark. not knowing where to walk along the stoney and dusty drives I was not long out the the house when a male monkey in the woods Hough, houghed to establish his territory and then dozed off. Not long after a cockerel called in the darkness from the shanty town the other side of the woods. Not long after still in the darkness cockerels were calling to one another for miles around. I suppose I was hearing calls from about 3 miles to my left, to my right and to the rear of me, all in the darkness. The monkey had dozed off but faint chatter of female monkeys was just audible in the back ground.
Then the bird song began at first only a very few birds started in their ones and two's making it more difficult for the cockerells to talk . Then a few dogs from miles around raised their heads some where and started to bark at one another. Then as it grew lighter a heavy lorry could be heard in the far distance honking and chugging it's way along the very rough and bumpy high road. The day had started. It was some time before the sun acutally rose. The mist burned off the rim of the Rift valley, so that what I thought was clouds became mountains. The sun rose, slowly at first and then in minuetes was clear above the horizon driving the shadows and colour out of everything before it.
The day had begun.

I wrote a poem in April 2007 when I woke in Chichester early one morning in David and Christine's house. It was good to read it again this morning so I haveaddedit to this Blogg.

MORNING
As dawn light breaks through the trees,
Heralded by achorus uniquely it's own.
The mornig air now fresh and crisp,
Some how washedby thedarkness.
Each chorister carefully perched for best effect.
Sings with relish their part in the great anthem

Refreshedby the night I ponder the new Day.
The fresh hope, possibly the fear of the unknown.
I have watched the sun set and the sun rise,
Carelessly thinking the sun is moving.
God, whose love is new every morning.
Yet HE remains unchanged

Morning
Same God.
Same Sun.
NEW ME!!!

Porl
06/04/2007

"Africa is a country that forces you to take your western values out of their tool box and possibly not put some of them back" Paul Sowden 14/08/2009

Already it's been a great day

toodle pip !!!!

Paul
Applogies for grammer and spelling yet again. I shall probably read this again and write something else. Thanks for your patience.

Molo Mud House Kenya

2009-08-13T08:45:00.000+01:00

A mud house
Stands in a mud court yard
At the end of a mud road
The mud floor is smooth and beautifully swept

The chickens and pullets come into the house a very frequent intervals
For tit bits they are sure to find
The small scraggy silver grey kitten inspects every visitor hoping for solace.
The puddle outside the front door from recent rains
Provides a worthy drink
For the dry throught of a mother hen

Exquisite primitive art paintings of local flowers in black and orange
Adorn the smooth brown mud walls of the lounge.
The lounge ceiling with loose timbers thrown over the rafters
Like some untidy garage store do not conceal the holes in the tim roof.

This is not some gallery exibition reached by smooth tarmac pavements
Their modern porcaleen toilets carefully concealed from view.

This is a beautiful mud house
With the stench of poverty
With a greater caring love of people
My digitised, sanitised, world will ever know.

Porl
theawfulversefactory
Wed 12/8/2009 Molo

Sorry no pics or bad typing this is African. Will tidy up when I get home !!!!!

Scratch the dusty surface of Kenya

2009-08-13T05:49:00.001+01:00

Well we are certainly getting down and dirty now, it's busy days for all of us now. We sadly seem to have at least one person on sick leave each day but the machine that is team Molo Rolls on from 8.00am breakfast to around11.00 pm at night with very little spare time. all the teams rushed of to their tasks yesterday and I waited behind for Sonia to book her children onto a BA flight from Heathrow to Kenya. Communication was poor here yesterday, time slipped quickly by and I did not get to Matumaini until 11.15.I had time to write a report draft for Belmont of Sunday morning and another poem, My experiences of House group the other evening. During my travels with just a driver I had a better chance to look around me, as I was not crammed into a mini bus some where.
This is supposed to be the winter rainy season. Last nights rain was only a very pitiful amount for about 7 mins which only evaporated on the mud and did absolutely nothing. There are many filed of sweet corn planted as if only planted a few weeks ago. It is only 18" High when it should be around 7 foot high by now. The end of the plants are burnt brown , the plants are starting to die in the ground now. It is going to be a pitiful harvest if any. The grass every where is very short. There is nothing left to graze on the grass every where is bitten short and should be at this time lush grass. During our travels we passed on the mud roads, or barged our way through .English farmers would be hoping mad at drivers pushing through their Milking cows. We passed 5 herds of cows, something like 70 cows in all. All cows had extremely small udders, Yes about the size of a medium sized ladies hand bag. Only one cow in the 70 had a decent udder of milk of say 5-7 litres......... Now that is quite sad !!!!! for the milk is very valuable and a great resource o#for the health of the people.
I visited the woods of the school this evening, We had the grounds estate manager who says they should be planting trees right now. They grow Gum trees ( eucalyptus) on an 8 years cycle plan and require approx 1500 tonnes of wood each year. They are beginning to see that due to lack of rain fall the planting programme will not be sustain so they as re starting to install solar water heating. Teacher will now have to purchase their firewood at subsidised rate rather than receive it free gratis.
TEARS OF SORROW*** TEAR OF JOY****** TEARS OF FATIGUE
Their are usually tears each day from somewhere no one is immune.
TEARS OF SORROW
Jan Pinniger was caught after along day teaching disabled children all day. She was dirty like a brick layers labourer after handling the children her cloths were covered in a brown layer of dirt off the children. As she was getting on the bus to come home she saw the pictures of our church at Belmont and instantly broke into tears. The thought of how we live and worship were so far removed from the day she had just spent we to much for her. For myself I was shocked to see a little boy. Age uncertain, But about 80 cm tall thin and dressed in torn and ripped shorts and tee shirt. He did have plastic sandels on. But his clothes were rags i would not clean an oil dip stick on my car with.
TEARS OF JOY
Pam Reave celebrated a birthday today. At the end of the day she was treated to a set of portrait photos under an exotic tree in the grounds. A surprise birthday meal with cheap balloons the table marked on in felt tip pen. A birthday cake with candles and ice cream. This time Pam dissolved into tears of joy.
TEARS OF FATIGUE
It was a very busy day for every one yesterday, after the party there was team planning, sundry jobs, Feedback and then prep for the next day. We needed as a team to cut 260 pices of ribbon to length 70 pieces of string, cut and mark up 130 photo frames from paper. Cut out an unknown number of heart shapes to make 5page heart shaped Book for each child to explain a dirt heart and other things about the heart and forgiveness today. After several hours of work team members were growing to tired and slowly went to bed as they could work not longer. Mike & I are now known as" the Cutter and snippers" As we do long repetitive jobs requiring cutting. Near the end of the evening Jan said she wished she had brought us more ribbon to cut up into little pieces. There was a period of hysterical laughter from the cutters & snippers. The though of cutting anything again was more than we could bear.
Despite the stresses and fatigue this again was another evenings hard labour that will be firmly imprinted in the memories of the team as one of our high point.

God bless you all for reading the drawl and thanks for your prayers

Paul

Chickens and Computers

2009-08-12T05:35:00.000+01:00

Yes I know the Chicken came first, but my day yesterday started with 5 hours of computer work trying to sort out Pastor David's computer. I thought when doing it how strange and like life, it is coming out here knowing you are really goood at some thing and you get drafted out to use a skill that I would say it not my strong point. How ever I am progressing and sorting out two years of computer non filing. The challenge is about to start when I haveto tryand train people on how the save things in the right place. There are signs on the computer of some one having done this before and it did not work so the training will have to be very Kenyan style. That is in my words with alot of old flannel as we Sowdens would put it. Your language has to be very welcoming. ( Long) Friendly, Use joke that will connect with the other person. And try and explain things using picture language. HenceI will have to explain to pastor David that he will have to change his ways ! He will need to experience what it is to leave his old ways of using a computer which are very frustrating to him and take on a new computer life. He will laugh but is going to findit verypainfull. It is going to take me several days to get him there. It is no good just telling Africans what to do. You have to get them to tell you how they are going do the task you have asked them. The problem is they do not want to do what you tell them but in order not to offend you at the time they tell you what they think you want to here. So there is the nub of my problem.
CHICKENS (but no camera)
I am not carrying a camera to take scenic pictures because it is being used for the child portrait picture programme each day. I have loads of pictures any way to remind me of what I have seen. I think all I need is a good road surface picture to remind me of the roads.
Yestersday the team went to 7 home churches of the Happy Church. I went to a home on the Green Garden Estate. We got out of the car, walked across a deep half pipe mud ditch and up a deep rough bank onto a grass road with 4sheep tethered along the length of the road, aprox 70metres or the back of 4 houses. The house we went to was on the end, round the corner and I was met by some two week old chickens whose fluffy little fethers had just developed. I was then greetedby Prisca who was the lady of the house who was drawing water from the well in the front of her garden. Her house is a wood, wattle and daub mud house with a tin roof, mud floor. Her lounge is about 11ftsquare with a 1 bedroom to the right and a kitchen to the left. The toilet would have been separate outside , a slot toilet no pan no seat. If you are a lady you squat. What you do with you long skirt to not get it dirty I am not going to think about it. All I can say is our girls have been very brave each day . Here poverty really does come with a bad smell.
This was a wonderfull experiance. The lounge walls were smooth mud decorated with large hand painted flowers with black outlines and orange infills. THIS WAS THE MOST WONDERFULL EXPERIANCE OF LOCAL ART I HAVE EVER SEEN . In fact I was glad I did not have a camera to take a picture. This would have been very intrusive to my host and the picture would never really capture the whole experiance that I have now printed firmly on my mind.

Must dash it is now 8.05am and I am late for breakfast.

I wonder what challenges today will bring

Paul

Unicef Tarpaulins Make Wonderful Classs Rooms

2009-08-11T05:28:00.000+01:00

Yes they do. Who in the western world would think that a thing as simple as 4 large plastic tarpaulins would make such a difference to the starving poor, but the do. They use long tall young tree wood to make a very simple frame. One tarpaulin makes one side only and the other makes the roof. Molo Street Children Project have two classrooms like this and they are a wonder full asset. There is a gound floor only. it is rough and uneven. But the ground is rough and uneven every where it does not mater here. One of the class rooms for instance is used a welcome room. Where people can sit around a table a talk. Then it is used to serve the mid day meal to the children. Yesterday they provided a cooked meal to 130 children, this would possibly be the best meal they would get that day. One of our team noticed a little girl eating grass and leaves, it seemed very normal to her. We suppose that thisis whatshe does to servive.

Also yesterday the unicef classrooms were used to hang a blanket on by looping it through thecrackof the two sheets. An old concrete block was dug into the earth to providea platform for the child to stand in the correct place. It takes a team of at least four to manage a portrait, school picture photo shoot. Yesterday whe photo 69 individual children and loggedthe classand nameof each child against the photo numbers. We have brought with us a portable Photo printer and will eventually present each child with a paper mounted photo of themselves. You must remember that the average age in Kenya has recently dropped fron 47 down to 40 and some of these children will not even make it to maturity due to aids and other ailments of the very poor.

The Molo Holiday Club started yesterday. It was afrantic affair and as usual with holiday clubs difficult because you do not know who is going to arrive. Also more difficult to do it in a country where you have to get interpretation into Swahelli. How ever the children are very good. They love to swamp Jan Pinniger who love languages and teach Jan new words. I am not able to take any pictures as my camera has been dedicated to the portrait picture programe so as not to mess up the numbering system.
A team went to the Matumaini disabled childrens home. This was ateam with proffesional experiance in monitoring work with disabled people. What they found was not good ,although the children were in some cases very bright and talented. I can not write down what was said but it can get very sad to listen to. That even though the centre is not the best it wascertainly better than nothing for a disabled person. You must remember that poeple here have very poor mobility and yet there are only rough stoney uneven paths to get around.
Today we have Molo Holiday Club. Matumaini DisabledCentre. Visits to homes with the Molo social worker, Working on Pastor David's computer if there is electricity today. I haven't been told there isn't yet this morning so hopefully there is. This eveningwere are going to Molo Happy church Home groups is two's .We aim to visit 7 Home churches which meet between 5.0 and 6.00. We do sung worship, prayer and bible study all in one hour. But remeber this is African. Nothing starts on time and nothing finnishes on time. It is going to be late eveing meal tonight!

Sunday is not only for singing

2009-08-10T05:09:00.000+01:00

Well I went to Happy Church Molo which is located on top of the hill overlooking the town next to the two large circular concrete water storage reservoirsfor the town. ( Paster says his vision for the church is to spread the gospel of Jesus down into the wholetown of Molo like the water supply. This sort of picture speaking is very common here amoungst the Kenyans, so I fell very at home.
Church was loud. 2 3/4hrs long on hard wood settle benches , not that they let you sit down much. The songs and worship section was a very good 30 mins. Keyboard and 5 piece vocal group leadby a lady with a good but quite shrill voice. The songs are very African , Negro spiritual style. Dancing. Hand clapping and waving were all part of the deal. A 20 min prayer section , translated, In fact every thing was translated. Sometime the speaker would speak in English and then Swahelli. It did keep you on you toes listening. The Belmont team Fran,Pam,Sarah, Mike and myself Sang to them "The Lord is my Sheppard" celtic version with parts acopela. ( Belmont did not send it's best team for this but we were good. The Sermon was about being gentle and humble, Honouring one another and honouring God. A very practical ministry. After the service we had tean and cake in the pastors church office. Then walkedto his house for dinner, A Very simple Kenyan house like the people. Possibly two bedrooms, a lounge about 12' square and kitchen we were not allowed to see. I was impressed that the Pastor really did live like his people.
The two other teams came back from their churches equally excited as us.
The afternoon we had free for 3.00pm to afternoon tea time which was our first time to catch breath since we got here.
The evening meal, wonderfull food as usual, those of us expecting to loose weight due to poor diet while here have now given up hope and have just surredered to amazing hospitality by Chris and Sonia.
After the meal we had our usualtalk back and planning. Which revealed that before morningwe have to cut out 100 eyeballs, eyebrows, make 100 name cardsand Sharpen by hand 100 pencils.
This was one of the great moments of our trip. Mikeand I were pencil sharpeners. Pam was cutting eyes Jan was cutting eyebrows Pin was fidling with his music .Fran was so tired she started quality checking the eye brows, lining them up in pairs and rejecting many. This may not seem amusing to the normal reader but will bring back happy memories to the team.
Chris has just walked in this morning to say that we are on generated power today, which will affect what we do today and how we do it.
We are off today to start the holiday club at Molo. Take the shuttering off Fridays concrete and carry on stone building. Team goes to Matumiani to start assement program and if possible due to power cuts I will try and work on Pasotr David's computer.

Hay ho
Untill tomorrow

Prayer for Molo

2009-08-09T05:44:00.000+01:00

How can I understand you?
When I have nothing lost.
How canI comfort you?
When I have not been wounded.
How can I understand you pain?
When you paths I have never walked

Would that I could feel your emptyness.
Would that I could share your pain.
Would that in Your foot steps
I could walk for but one hour.
So that I can fully understand
How badly your shoes now fit.

For but only one hour in your shoes.
To rub a sore foot like yours.
To cry bitter tears like yours.
To sink into the deep darkness like yours.
To feel pain, yet only similar to yours
Then I can understand your loss.

Would that I could carry your load.
For an hour, a month, a year.
If this would restore your sole,
Then I would willingly toil.

But for now, I can only watch.
For now, I can only listen.

But like Jacob I will wrestle God.
He will listen to the cry of his people
and
He will set his people free in Jesus Christ.

Amen.

The long road to Lake Victoria

2009-08-09T05:24:00.000+01:00

Yes it was a long road. One van had a puncture and bits were broken off on a bad dirt road. The journey each way took 4+ hours each way. Sitting tightly packed in old nissan vans becomes in the end, quite an endurance. You run out of places on your bottom that are not badly bruised and sore.
Good things were:-
A long journey in the day light, most small towns look approximately the same, dirty, desparate and hungry.
We drove down through about 15 miles of Tea plantations which spread each side of the road as far as we could see. Each plantation provided white painted houses for the workers with one outside toilet to share between 4 or so houses. It looked very pretty as holiday homes by the sea. But to live your whole life there is tough, but far better that living in a canvas camp or shanty town.
We saw a burnt out tanker shell. An accident involving a artic lorry and a car, some 40mins previous. An old rolled and smashed up lorry left as a waring to others. We also passed another artic lorry which had slid down the side of the road turned over onto its side.
On the way to the very smart hotel we went to we passed through a very poor part of town. It was not the sort of place you would want to break down in. It was crumbling mud huts and shops. very rusty poor tin roofing. so dirty that even the cactus was finding it hard to grow. Yet some 50yards away was a gated 5 star Hotel with a waterfront position. Excellant food, small swimming pool but very welcome. You could stay at this hotel in a tented chalet with a thatched roof. Very idylic. But not much to do other than eat sleep sit in the sun. Not my bag.
The long journey home was tough. It rained very hard for the second day. Steph Pinniger was quite poorly and suffered quite badly the four hour journey home with no stops.
Off to Happy Church to sing that The Lord is my sheppard ( celtic version with parts) no guitarist 2 men 3 girls acopela.

See you tomorrow

Getting Down and Dirty 07/08

2009-08-08T05:17:00.000+01:00

The start to the day was a bit chaotic. There were teams going to four locations, some with packed lunches, getting themselves ready to go out for the day all added to the buzz. Pam Reeve was feeling very weepy and needed support this morning. People left the dining room before the thought for a day so we were all called to the lounge back again for a thought by Sonia. Trying to mix the African culture with our own whilst trying to honour our host became abit of a strain, but we all made it. We propped Pam up and got her out of the door then she was fine. This blog is mainly my experiances so will only mention briefly how other people got on.( you will have to still forgive the space bar problems , but I am getting better!!!)

I raced like mad to wash and shave to catch the bus to Molo with the building team. The bus was to full so I have to wait for the next car. I eventually went to drive with Sonia in her car. Sonia did pray at the begining of the day for safety on the road. When you are out here you understand the need to pray EACH day for safety on the road. It is dangerous. How ever on going to start the car the battery died so we had to push her out and bump start her. We found 6 people to push her out of the new mud drive and up onto the track. We got her going, I was out of breath with the altitude and eventulayy found her 150 yards down the track still not started. She had never bump started a car before. However We got the car started and I drove to Matumaini the disabled childrens centre.

I am slowly begining to accept that travel is the way it is. Rough, bumpy, dirty, slow.

My first task of the day wasto help Pastor David sort out his emails. His computer is slow, his modem is slow, and he does not understand things easily or follow written instructions, he is very like me, so perhaps we are the perfect team. I will spend about an hour each day with him, sort out folders, and address book , attachments etc, all stuff that is new to him.

I then went to the Molo Childrens project where I spent about 5 hours helping on the building project. The aim of the day was to build a shutter for a concrete beam . The timber was not straight, long enough. There were only 6" and 2" nails. Out of the three saws we had only the hack saw worked. We had one pencil ( mine !!!!) and one hammer. We made it and the beam was cast 81" above the floor just before a large rainstorm came. This was much needed as the crops are very stunted and brown in the fields.

I then walked over to see Pastor Karranga, who I had previousley met in Exter on our training day, we get on well together. We had a great time together, We both love to talk , but he sharted with me the history of Molo and how it is to be a Christian in Molo. A very humbleing experiance to sit with a man who deals every day with death, starvation, feuding ,extreme poverty, homelessness ,abandonment. He sits in his office proudly next to the filling station, An internet cafe at the front with his receptionist Aprox10' x 10' and his room Aprox 10'x 7' witha large chimney /firein the corner. There is enough room for a desk and a small table with four plastic chairs. The room is dirty with a metal roof, the rainstorm was deafaning, the walls are covered with dirty curtains to cover the even dirtyer walls. Yet this is ok here and the Pastor is clearly bringing the church right into the heart of the town where he is needed. People drop by sit on his waiting chairs and he talks to all of them. A great lesson in availability.

Other teams visited. "The Childrens prison in Nakuru," about 100 children of whom only 8 were offenders. taken from the streets , aged 6 to 26. The team were stunned by the whole thing but encouraged. They worked alongside a couple from Youth for Christ who go in every week. The fourth team went to "The Sunshine Childrens home" This apprently is run by a strong English northern woman ( should have written her name down. The have an old colonial house which is very run down. ( Nova says we would not keep children in there) the children were well cared for happy. It was a well run project. The team felt very encouraged.

Today is Saturday and we have a day off. We are off on a day trip to Lake Victoria.... Wow. Then we will have to plan to split into four team and go to different churches. Apparently the services are three hours long

Thanks for your prayers Guys

Paul

ps Sorry guys uploading images on dial up isdifficult so will have to keep it to a minimum will try facebook

Poverty comes with a bad smell

2009-08-07T05:26:00.000+01:00

No this is not my line but a local Pastors. Very true it is too. Yesterday we travelled to the Molo Children Street Project. The journey is an expedition in its self. You have three grades of road. New Tarmac :- good means it's like our bad roads. Standard tarmac roads in towns:- There is some tarmac, high spots filled in with mud and pots holes / craters where they havenot been filled in. There are also tracks to the side of the road where the going is so much better, this is usually on corners. then there are sloping bits on the edge of the road where your vehicle tips over to about 25degress. The driving style is to pick the best route anywhere across the whole width of the road. Whilst they drive on the left any side will do and on coming traffic has the following rules. 1/ do not injure anyone. 2/ first one there wins 3/ Largest wins.

We are actually living in Turi so we travelled through Molo on the way . My shock was to see so many people during the day time not working. In a land of such poverty there appears to be little oportunity for them to find regular work. It is quite a shock to my western values.
We made it to the Molo Street Children Project. Which has a very tidy set of metal gates and good fencing around a 3acre site on a gentle slope. Driving up to the centre house that now has its new roof covering on. We drove through grounds planted with cabbage, sweet corn and other crops. Already this is a well organised site. There is a large chicken house with a good enclosure. Women have the resposibility to run and farm the chickens. There are only about 30 birds at the moment but the aim is for them to breed and get up to the optimum number of around 200birds. The main house has two dorms for boys and girlsto live, plus other rooms for for workers to live in. There was a busy cook house with timber fired boilers and open sheds with open fire with pots balanced on stones. We had dinner there consisting of chopped cabbage, small lentil type beans, chopped carrot ,potato and half a chapiati each. It was extremely welcome. Also on site was a class room block constructed from cut down trees and covered in corrugated iron with open windows and doorways. This consisted of four class rooms approx 12ft square each. The luxury apparently was the concrete floor. I will try and add photos of the children.
Time is going and I have to go to breakfast. But the the Matumaini disabled children centre was a whole different ball game in the after noon. Bad location ,loss of vision ,there were no paths for wheel chairs, alot of quite good building not being used well.
NOW YOU WILL LAUGH:- My task today is to go to Matumaini to help Pastor David sort out his computer skills!!!!! Yes I know. I have to sort an address book for him and then sort a filing system.
CAN GOD USE PAUL SOWDEN............. YES HE CAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

seeyou tomorrow

Arrived At Molo

2009-08-06T07:17:00.000+01:00

Well, we are here and breakfasted. I am trying to phone /text out at the moment but seem to be having out ward comunication problems. Even the spacebar on this computer needs to be banged from a great height to get it to work..
The Journey was safe and very long. The last 8 miles was very bumpy and by then everyones bottom was just about worn through completely , being unable to move and sit on abit that was not sore.
Thr high lights of thejourney were:-
Heathrow Terminal 3. Much the same as usual. A long drawn out process in getting all the bags weighed as a group. We were just over weight, but they were kind to us and let us through with out extra charge.
The first flight was good although I had an hour of not feeling at all well ,sweating like made and feeling sick. How ever it passed and I lived.
The flight approach toDoha was fantastic. In the middle of a yellow sand dessert was this town and air port. New roads and drain ditch being dug in straight lines with no where to go. Parked rows of new cars all covered in yellow dust. The Duty free shopping in a large, lush airport was expensive. Mostly expensive jewellry and Hugo boss style clothes etc. I thought to bring home an Arabic Rug Mouse Mat @ 22$ which was expensive or a nice round table cloth for Nicola's lamp table. Price local currency unknown cost.
Nairobi Airport at last. There was a surprise amount of paperwork including a swine flu declaration. We were through but because Hilary Clinton was in town there were large traffic jamsdelaying our host Chris.
The drivingin Nairobi is much better when you sit next to Jan Pinniger. Who shriekes at each junction. The model at round abouts is to just push in and then push some more . About 2i nches is about the normal space required.
The journey home to Molo was long and sore . Went on edges and valley floorof the Rift Valley, quite misty ,so pictures werre not good from a dirty van. However we have seen by the road side. Ducks Turkey. Cows. Donkey. Zebra. Baboon, and a Wart Hog.
Currently feeling rather bad that technonolgy is not letting me call home at the moment.
If any one reads this quickly please email Belmont office and advise of update. Love you all Guys Paul

My Kenya time table

2009-08-03T22:15:00.000+01:00

Pauls Team Molo Diary

Tues 04 Aug
12.35
Bus 501 Exeter Coach Station To heathrow Terminal 3

21.30
Qatar Airlines Flight QR2 to Doha 06.25 +1
Wed 05 August
0800
Qatar Air Qr532 to Nairobi 13.10

Transfer to St Andrews Schools Molo Approx Arrival 1800hrs
Thurs 06 Aug

Friday 07

Sat 08

Sunday 09

Happy Church Molo
Monday 10
Street Kids holiday club Starts

Tuesday 11

Wed 12

Thurs 13

Friday 14

Sat 15

Sun 16

Church
Mon 17

Tues18
0800
Molo to Lake baringo

Roberts Camp lunch & diner
Wed 19

Early Boat ride Then Breakfast

Mid Morn
Lake Baringo to Lake Bagoria reserve

Lake Bagoria Hotel Swim & Lunch

16.30
Lake Bagoria hotel to Kembu farm walk /* dinner
Thurs 20
0600
Breakfast in Kembu

0630
Full day in Lake Nakuru National park

1800
Kembu Dinner
Friday 21st
07.30
Breakfast @ Kembu then visit Knitters

0930
Leave for Nairobi Airport for 1300 hrs

1500
Flight QR533 to Doha 20.00
Sat 22nd
0150
Flight QR5 to Heathrow 0715

0715
Flight QR5 terminal 3 Heathrow9Paul is going to cheat, Rosemary & Nicola coming to scrape him of the runway and drive him home.

11.25
Central bus to Exeter 15.10

Cut & Paste Disaster

2009-07-08T13:03:00.000+01:00

Cut & Paste Disaster

It’s a calamity.
The shame of it has to be.
This cut and paste poem
is just not going,
to the place where it ought to be.

Now I think you need to have
a doctorate or masters degree.
In English literature or any other philosophy.
For to write this stuff with out any of the above.
Is really quite far beyond me.

So I have started with a Zoo
and the things you can do

Then add train,time tables,
Picture books of boyhood dreams
lost down life’s drain.

So I cut them up ,table placed them
Mixed them around to enable me to reshape
Now the best I can do is:-
A Lion on the line.
A Python on the points.
A Mule in the matrix .
A Parrot announcing trains.
Not much different from real life then !

Now I have left over with no where to fit
Park side panoramic views.
Easy access for disabled visitors.
Tarantulas. Sloth’s, Aardvarks, Water buffalo,
Restaurants, With good City centre links

So let’s own up,
this is not a good result
Cut and paste is certainly not my bag
I have to eat my poems,
Chew them, live them.,Sleep with them,
Watch them grow and have children
Get worried to death by their adolescence
Nurture them gently and slowly deliver them to maturity
Not just scissor them into,
One size fit all !

Porl. 06/07/2009
http://www.theawfulversefactory.blogspot.com/

One Day

2009-06-28T17:08:00.000+01:00

One Day
A legion of men marched down the old road .
Young men.
Hard men.
Tall men.
Strong men.
All in Harmony, All in step, All in line.
Pounding to the beat of my frightened heart .
Man beside man,
Row after row,
Squadron after squadron,
Swords men,
Spear men,
Horse men,
Proud men.

The Sun.
Blacked out by giants,
with blood stained hands.
Red……………….Hot.
Like a furnace of death.
Giants who tread fools under foot.
Who rape and pillage just for fun.
Men now spoilt by campaigns of war,
Never able to be just lovers or fathers,
Never to cradle a beautiful baby daughter,
Never to teach a son how to live or work.
For they were just,
Cool.
Cold.
Killers.
Watching them pass,
Hand in hand I stood with my brother.
He dressed in a brown Hessian sack tied with twine,
and me naked except for shorts and a wooden sword.
for,
One day we too would be tall and strong.
One day we would wear leather and steel.
One day we would get our revenge.
One day we would be triumphant,
and
One day I will not only just be four years old.
One day
It will be my turn !

Porl
The awful verse factory 05/04/2009A Response to “THE OLD ROAD” By Peter Doyle

Lone Survivor

2009-06-28T17:03:00.000+01:00

Lone Survivor

This was a journey to find and see
The kind of man I would need to be
If suddenly I became a lone survivor

Now every one knows I can mend and stick
Building a house Laying every brick
But could I cook care and clean
This was a journey as yet unseen

Porl
June 08

A Better View

2009-06-28T17:02:00.000+01:00

A Better View

Plant not a park bench
On some exposed north cliff
Heavily weighed down with concrete plinth
For a few wind torn years
Reminding you of tired old men

Rather sprinkle a few grains of ash
Over babbling brook of YOUR choosing
Not far from YOUR home
Where the ever running water
Fresh and changing
Tells of good times ahead
Further down stream

Porl
27/06/2008
North coast of Cornwall

Wounded Man Walking

2009-06-28T17:01:00.000+01:00

Wounded Man Walking

Tired, bruised, defeated,
Silent, retreated, despised.
Confined, solitary, guarded.

Closer, comforted, released,
Limping, walking, swimming,
Working, worshiping, wondering.

Tired ...Torn, Exhausted ,Empty
Bruised… Battered, Broken, Bowed,
Defeated… Surrounded, Shamed.
Silent...my bitten rapier tongue.
Retreated...as a beaten mongrel
Despised...by dominant victors.
Confined...in a cell of self doubt.
Solitary…in a fog of pressure.
Guarded…by tradition.
Closer...to God through loneliness,
Comforted…by His compassion.
Released…into eternal life,
Limping…slowly forward.
Walking…towards the objective,
Swimming…against the easy answers
Working…as an act of worship,
Worshiping…as I work.
Wondering…the Awesome God !

Paul
20/11/2008

Before the Shipping news

2009-06-22T10:09:00.000+01:00

Before the shipping news

Rain.
Born in the dust bowls of Havana
Created in the crags of Cuba.
Mixed in the Gulf of Mexico
Warm seas rage against the rocks,
Thrown high into the air.
Silver shards seared in the heat,
Steamed in the sun,
To powder puff clouds of pure perfection.
Who float high over Florida funsters,
With out threat or thunder, tempest or twister.

Then high on the Gulf Stream,
Jetted far out to sea.
A week or more of Atlantic Ranging,
No longer innocent puff balls of fun.
But large dirty, black mature storms.
Learning to lash luxury liners,
Captivating all customers to their cabins.
Looking for a fight.

Viking ,North Utsire, South Utsire,
Forties, Cromarty, Forth.
Tyne ,Dogger Fisher, German bight.
Humber ,Thames, Dover, Wight,
Portland., Plymouth, Biscay, Trafalgar.
Fitzroy, Sole, Lunday,
Fastnet Irish Sea, Shannon.
Marlin, Hebrides, Bailey,
Fair Isle, Faeroy, Iceland.
Famed only by name of the shipping news.
Endure weather from the Mexican mixing bowl,

Porl the awful verse factory
08/03/2009

Sky over Treyarnon island

2009-06-22T10:02:00.000+01:00

Sky over Treyarnon Island

The shore line gained, high above wave crashed rocks.
Unsteady feet on an uncertain edge of wind blown grass.
Waves in patient lines, queued from the horizon
Shore bound, waiting to land, not knowing where
Gulls wheeling, whooping, shunting, shouting, screeching.
Gave rhythm where time was of no concern.

A sky factory painted blue, was calm and confident;
Lines of textured clouds with strokes of gossamer white,
Gave peace where there was no conflict.

The sun disappears from view,
Tired from balancing on the horizon.
Repainting the whole sky,
Changing every colour ,
More shades of red a woman could ever paint on her fingers.
A concoction of colours, crescendos into symphony
Hotter than iron in a blacksmith’s furnace,
Gossamer white now toasted hot orange.
Their only moment of glory in the transient sky.

The world stood still,
Relieved of the day.
Birds now landed tired of playing
Fat bees fully fed, no longer buzzed
For it was only the waves,
Sent from far away where the sun was still shining.
Rhythmically lapped the shore unable to stop.

Porl
The Awful Verse Factory
20/10/2008

Living in the country

2009-06-22T09:51:00.000+01:00

Living in the country

You know when you are living in the country.
When power cuts become a practiced event.
When the mud on your car no longer seems to matter.
When your Wellington boots wear out.
When holiday makers steal by to enjoy the views, you now take for granted.

When stars cover the whole sky.
While satellites politely behave, standing quite still.
No longer charging ,frantically across the sky.
When clouds no longer cover the whole sky.
But always seem to end ,somewhere not to far away
When the sunshine ,just seems to follow rain.

When you notice the trees.
The Horse Chestnut who sheds her leaves at the first hint of an Autumn breeze.
The Oak who majestically grins at the gales,
then tightly grips to his leaves long into December
When the bare boughs and frost laden twigs sharply remind cheeky plants
who have dared to flower in the vain hope of being first.
To be only blackened and sent firmly to the back again

In the Autumn Garden
When the pheasant’s colourful breast again outshines the flowers
as he struts the garden that is to become his again.
When seven noisy black birds surround an invading Sparrow hawk
Who completely disregards their loud siren
A warning that will not deter his quest.

When snow & ice come but seldom
To decorate the picture in postcard hue.
You dig you car out with your neighbour
And thus your camaraderie grow

When spring time brings unknown delights,
Hidden flower buds kept long from sight
Appear at will you know not where
In places where you would not dare

When the summer sun beats down
That even the grass seems to gasp for breath
As the birds sleep lazily in the trees
The busy Robin keeps close company to the sweat of your digging
Filling his beak with more worms than is wise to carry
He goes not home to gorge himself on his lucky find
But to feed new offspring who also grow strong and proud

Living in the country
Is to pick from the pocket of time
The ability to amble home at leisurely pace
Like cows to milking parlour in the afternoon sun
To convalesce the senses and rest the eyes
On the unfolding beauty of nature
To be able to stop and say hello how are you ?

Porl
The awful verse factory
06/01/03
Experiences of the first 6months of living at Saffron Court

From Gutter to glory.( A slum Donkey Tale)

2009-06-22T09:15:00.000+01:00

From Gutter to Glory …….
A Slum Donkey tale from Luke 19

Dusty dirty
Disgusting despicable
Listless, lifeless
Useless. unusable ,
Motionless. in a moon scape of rancid rubbish
Stands A Donkey

For this is not the best of breed
A fine example to be painted or cast in bronze
Forced to live a life of rubbish tip existence
Rejected by every body
Valued as nothingness
But found by disciples
As chosen by God

Now donkeys don’t do anything clever
They do not run posh races
or win large prizes
Or are wagered on by rich people
They just plod

They plod on
They plod up
They plod on beaches with children aboard
They plod to the end
and
Then they plod back
They plod up mountains loaded with
guns ,camera’s and tents
and
Then they plod back
They plod for any one
Who will pay the rent
They plod on and on
With only mild discontent

For centuries now they have been
Valued as meaningless
Yet have plodded into history
As chosen by God

For beneath the rotten rugged hard bitten grey coat
Far behind those tired black eyes that say nothing
Beneath the sullen, grumpy attitude that is
Despite the obnoxious nature
The stubborn slowness
The total lack of enthusiasm
Forgotten on the rubbish tip of life
Rejected by every body
Valued as meaningless
Chosen especially
To be ridden triumphantly by Jesus
forever now in history
As chosen by God

Porl the Awful verse Factory
21/03/2009

The other side( a poem about Hell)

2009-06-16T21:04:00.000+01:00

The other side

I only
passed away
the other day.

But already there has been some considerable delay,
Journeying to my heavenly home along the way.
Apparently now ,down, downgraded.
Well let’s kinda put it this way!
You’ll not be wanting to stay here.
For even a day!

In life
I didn’t go to Church or Chapel,
Mormon or Jew
I did not sit on their pews.
For we all know there is a risk.
To have your name on a disk.
Of some five buck Bishop or Svengali.
So my name was lost
on a train?
on a plane?What matters is !
Through all this confusion, there is no delusion,
I have gone down, instead of up!

In the
Good Book there is rumour
How things will look
For at least a millennia or longer
Torment ,
tears,
lashings
lesions,
Degradation, depravity
A hopeless ,
joyless,
Godless Cavity.
In life were all too far fetched for me

If I
could write back and say,
How things are today
It,s always something like this.
Like trying to call
a Bank in Nepal
Getting passed from there to here
They are, never polite .
They are, always are right.
The frustration:.
“JUST MAKES MY BLOOD BOIL !!!!!!!”
While Satan’s slaves who,
with very sharp staves
Constantly prick and poke
I said to them once
“DO YOU THINK THIS A JOKE?”
They just laughed and leered,
The more soars they seared.

The Torment now,
is beyond any horizon of belief.
Without any rescue, or relief.
No luxury
To wish I was dead.
Or relive life’s thread.
Only
With answers uncertain.
With no final curtain.
The other side.
Is far, far, worse than bad dreams.

Porl 12.06.200
http://www.theawfulversefactory.blogspot.com/

Lots of road miles later

2009-06-08T21:32:00.000+01:00

At last we have finished travelling for three days now. The last three have been spent mostly in the car for most of the day. The American roads are now all starting to look the same. a/ very very wide and rather over indulgent in their use of land. There are no sharp bends but very very large frightening truck which will over take you. then under take you. The worst nightmare is for one to under take while the other over takes. It kinda goes whaaaaaaaaa! you loose nerve and accelerate wildly out of the black hole of death. Today now some 600 miles or more out of Washington the land does seem to be getting slightly flatter, but only slightly.

Saturday was our great start. This trip involves remembering the best bit of each day. The Skyline drive which is approx 100 miles long down the side of the Blue ridge mountains is Stunning. To those of us who live in Devon it is rather like the old road to Barnstaple. Tree lined and stunning, but has look out at regular intervals over looking vast swathes of land some 50 /60 miles. When you get here you realise why they are called the Blue ridge mountains. Because the cool moist air in the valleys rises and then warms forming a blue haze every where. On a clear cool day this would be mega spectacular. However the best bit of the day was having to drive around one of the two tame deer in the middle of the road. Eventually tired and glad to be there we made the hotel. Ready for Church next day.

Church was Jerry Fulls Baptist Church in Lynchburg Virginian. Ian was very keen to come here because this was a pioneer church in Christian television services. We found a mega church , were collected by a steward in a gold buggy and taken to the " sanctuary" the car park hold 2100 cars. The atrium to the church is a shopping mall proportions with a book store, coffee shop. The children play area, not available at the time was a large room of Crealy park proportions with a suitably impressive tunnelled net maze with all the required slides etc.

Whilst using the rest rooms one could hear the service in progress. They certainly made sure you did not miss the Gospel message here. However one could easily get a short snipage out of context. The short bit I have was that "You could be met by Thomas or some such dignitary " as you roll up to heaven's door. He asks what qualifications have you to enter heaven. You answer I am perfect through the Blood of Christ. He then tells you that is not good enough. By this time I have finished my ablutions and did not feel it wise to be hanging around the men's loos trying to hear the end of the message. So it left me a little puzzled regarding my spiritual destiny.

The sanctuary. Yes I am now an American, was large, about 3500 seats and reasonably full for the third time that morning. Typical baptist Church with approx 150 seated choir behind the stage. A large orchestra. 6-8 Strings 4 Brass, percussionist Bass,rhythm Guitars and grand piano. Lead worship leader was a very large man with 4 singers each side. This was a very professional service, seamless end to end which finished in the hour but had another 16mins of appeal on the end. The music was good and extremely professional the message simple yet clear. " The Christian and work. Main clue was let you work be a testimony before you start using the bible on people..

A great day followed by more driving ending in Charlottesville. at the Hyatt. A nice swim in the pool followed by a meal at Applebys. Leslie very nervous on journey there and back because we carried neither map or gps only instructions from the hotel. The meal at Applebys slightly tainted by the waitress tipping a plate over Rosemary's dress and shoe. No permanent damage, it was back to a movie and bed.

Today we have travelled further south to Atlanta. The Home of " the peach" Every thing is peach. Roads, boulevards ,drives, parks Even water towers

Sunny days & Rainiy days

2009-06-05T20:59:00.000+01:00

Wednesday was a clear sunny day Spent travelling by water Taxi to the National Harbor across the river from Alexandria old town. It was a great day , however the trip was far better than the destination. National Harbor reminded me rather of living on the set of the Truman show.

Thursday was slightly cloudy with few spot of rain every now and then. So it was into the Newseum for 6 full floors of veiwing. Examples of the Berlin Walls section very thought provoking. Too many screen projection images to count and the 4D cinema was amazing, giving threeD vision and sensory experiance to the film story as well.

Friday, today is wet and raining. When it rains here it rains all day without pausing. However it was a shopping day today which we completed in the morning, Rosemary& I have sorted our favorite shops over here now which saves alot of time.

Perhaqps you wonder why I bother to write this drivel but it is a practice run before I go to Kenya in August when hopefully i will have someting newsworthy to write about.

Our road trip starts tomorrow heading south. I have managed to book some flight time on a wind tunnel for sky diving. But this one is in the open air. How cool is that going to be.

See you later guys

paul

Travelling to the Usa

2009-06-03T11:18:00.000+01:00

Well the journey started as planned with a taxi journey from Nic's house in Newbury to Heathrow. A nice leather upholstery Audi, a very chatty lady driver who for the first half hour was taking call on the mobile for the whole of the company. Carefully negotiating the road , talking to us non stop and also sorting out a client and her colleges, the client who was stood next to his taxi but was expecting some large sign writing down the side of the vehicle to make it his taxi. The car was apparently plain hence the confusion and many phone calls. Some further 30 miles of the journey were taken up with discussing the merit and sins of Jeremy Clarkson and Top gear sins, She a rally driver and motor club organiser held him responsible for telling the whole world to turn your car into a boat or other such silly things Top gear does and we all just follow like sheep.
Terminal 3 is a great deal better when you you do not have to park a car. Virgin with online booking is amazing. Me the country yokel still stand in amazement house we can print out the ticket on our printer and the Bar code will work all the screens correctly throughout the journey instantly bringing up me name and complete details each time.
We both loved Virgin again especially for the puddings and ice cream supplied which were "GU" chocolate and gave you a fantastic buzz.
Transatlantic flights are mainly the same and after 5 hours seem to descend into the period of endurance as far as I am concerned. However this came and went , we touched down early , the twenty minutes gained were soon absorbed by travelling on the star wars shuttle buses to the main terminal. the queue to immigration. the wait so long that they had taken all our bags off the carousel but did not tell any one where they would be likely to be so we had to search the whole hall to find our bags. Leslie was there at the front of the queue to greet us one of the great highlights of our trip.
TUESDAY
Was a mong day, a gentle walk around Old Town Alexandria the nearest thing we find that resembles English town shopping rather than the usual mega shopping malls of America. We finished the day with a pleasant evening with Andy Mulcock also from Exeter who is spending time at Virginia Theological College on retreat. . A great day !