Philip G Bell has been writing poetry and short stories for many years and particularly 
enjoys writing for children. He has read his poetry at a number of locations in the UK 
including on a number of occasions on local BBC radio and as a resident poet at the 
Camelot Castle Hotel in Cornwall. He has also appeared at venues in the United States a
nd has been interviewed on WGMD Radio  in Delaware. 

He is 58 years of age married with three grown up children. He has also founded 
The Young Poet Society to encourage young poets. Though the Society a number of young poets 
have taken the first steps to being published and several have appeared on BBC local radio.

 

A Strange Tale

The tree stood hundreds of years undisturbed
Deep in the Hertfordshire wood
Old and gnarled its trunk was wide
Waiting for something good

A young child walking discovered this spot
Secret to the outside chase
And stared a long while at this ancient tree
And a hole near the base

The child climbed inside though cramped
Into a chamber no harm
Alive with secret lights in the wood
Offering comfort and calm

The hole shrunk in size to the size of a fist
And the child cried wild
But a voice calmly spoke in the head
Do not fear me child

I offer you immortal life free from care or pain
You offer me something good
Cleansing my old twisted roots and trunk
Unadulterated, innocent food

No cried the child, this is wrong you are bad
I am not at all for your food
You must free me or the woodsman’s axe
Will cut you down real good

Those words stung the tree, it had misjudged the child
How could it get it so wrong
These humans are strange suffering all of their pain
And their lives not at all so long

The hole grew in size and the tree spat the child
The child turned a face
And stared a long while at this ancient tree
And a hole near the base

The tree stood hundreds of years more undisturbed
Deep in the Hertfordshire wood
Old and gnarled its trunk was wide
Waiting for something good




Alone it falls

The lonely snowflake
Formed by chance,
To perform a dance
In the winter air.

A flake of beauty
Crystalline,
Concubine
Of the Winter King.

Floating to and fro,
Frosted here, 
Wind sheer,
Tumbling down.

Touches a child’s finger
Cold felt,
Warmth melt
Into an angels tear.

The child smiles.
Thoughts of some
More to come.
A gift of Winter snow.




Butterfly Kiss

A stroke of an eyelash upon a cheek
A touch so soft from a child so meek
Nestled close upon the dawn
And from that little one, a yawn

The eyes are closed upon a face
The living form of silk and lace
A button nose, a twitch and then
A hand to rest it back again

Two lips closed in resting now
Such is perfection, I wonder how 
An artist could ever find to mix
The shades upon a palette fix

As I stroke the hair upon the head
Of this sweet child asleep in bed
A tear of joy I shed this day
And words of thanks to God I pray

A stroke of an eyelash upon a cheek
A touch so soft from a child so meek
And all my thoughts flash back to this
Moment in time, my Butterfly Kiss



The Peanut Soldier

A peanut soldier, brave and bold,
To me this story, he had told,
Of a battle most infernal,
And how he was saved, by his kernel.

A nutty tale, we all agreed,
And yet, no doubt, a noble deed,
If not for this, our friend did utter,
"I'd have ended up as peanut butter!"

Shells were falling, all around,
In the trees and on the ground,
Advancing on, the enemy attackers,
Armed to the teeth, with their nutcrackers.

But the kernel stood firm and tough,
Until at last, they'd had enough,
The enemy defeated, really vexed,
Nutcrackers away, 'til Christmas next.




D’ya Know?

Macaroni Maisie made a mighty din
When she thought I'd placed her pasta
in the Rubbish Bin

But Pickled Pete with the smelly feet
Stole it quick, with Spotty Dick
Hidden in a sheet.

Now Officer Toffee, whilst drinking his coffee, saw just what, was what.
And ventured outside and said "Just a Mo'
In that sheet, what is that, what you've got?"

"Oh Ho! Ossifer," Pickled Pete there did say, "Just a sheet, needs a wash, I
declare"
And Spotty Dick feeling sick, nodded ever so quick
That his tie, it got caught in his hair

But Officer Toffee didn't fall for that line, and demanded they open the
sheet
And the Pasta fell out raising more than a gasp
In the front of the Constable's Feet

Pickled Pete looked aghast and said "Well I never!” "Yes you did", said old
Spotty Dick
And the arm of the law, stretched out before
And hand-cuffs were heard to go click

And Macaroni Maisie, gave me a Daisy for making my life really hard
And Toffee and Me shared a nice cup of Tea
And said that she's really a card!

And Life it goes on, and those days are now gone, to the post box up in the
sky
But don't shed a tear, it'll water the beer
Just wave a hand, Goodbye!

Copyright 2000 Philip G. Bell