Thin Pickings

Money has the loudest voice

Outrageous skills in fear
to petrify and dispossess
should the payments not appear

The law is on the richest side
the moneyed men just sneer
for they control the night machine
a banker’s world of fine veneer

Oranges & Sour Lemons

Salute the money Mandarins
in Golden Fleece they swagger
flouting common decency
in a privileged cloak and dagger

Raise the Double Standard flag
where conscience may not linger
then quaff a crate of the bubbly stuff
at the Hood and Crooked Finger

Around 200 pubs in the City of London square mile. They must be drinking to forget something.

Diamond Trading Rights

Look at Bob and all he has
a life so lavishly fine
hiding all his ill-gotten gains
in the family diamond mine

Recession hardy fire proof
respectable gold leaf
be careful of the tiny print
danger lies between their teeth

Count Your Lucky Fingers

The mighty banker sets the pace
on decency and trust
as we safely place our valuables
in their slavering vaults of lust

Fill your form correctly
they’ll be scouring every flaw
should you be less than honest
without a blink they’ll quote the law

Beware your over confidence
in the banker‘s ivory tower
for gloating greed will rule the day
as the banks have too much power

New Balls Please

It’s time again for Wimbledon

On court with my best racket

taking tennis lessons

and it costs a pretty packet

A lady shouts “your bulging pouch
suggests you’ve had a fall”
“Don’t worry” I said happily

“it’s just my tennis ball”

“Oh dear!” she cried “how awful
such a tender place for pain
for I’ve had tennis elbow
it must be driving you insane”

A Cat in Hell's Chance

I may be cute I may be small

but still I have my quest

to find the knowledge that I need

to live my life the best

When bigger cats that I should trust

bestow on me their tales
based on nothing more than hollow words
so the fear that guides prevails




Why is it that they dump on cats
all sorts of useless litter

when all we need is honest help
to not grow old and bitter

Accost Accountable

Judgement Day

Thoughts of screaming horsemen
on a dashing cavalcade
crowding his imaginings
on a blank page barricade

Pursuing dreams in steeplechase
every hurdle is a rock
every scar of lost experience
conjures fear of writers block

Beware the avaricious wish
shining jewels in casks of money
as the tragic joker tax evades
hoping someone thinks it's funny

Postcard Prose

The Nobby Clarksons are holidaying 
in Cornwall we've allowed ourselves 
a rhymetext type of travelditty thing.

Ropey wrote from home:

The rain is falling heavily
your flowers are OK
your fish are into handfuls
showing no sign of dismay

As for me I’m languishing
unlike the pair of you
I’m stuck indoors til Sunday
with fuck all else to do

The Nobbies replied:

Tis sad you are a languishing,
with nothing much to do.
Cos im an me are out today,
and on the road to Looe.

Might then see some galleries,
St Ives has got a few.
Sculptures, paintings, pots and crafts.
A million things to view.

We're buying crabs, the spider kind,
and eating as we go,
partaking of the cream teas,
and pints of amber flow

Ropey wrote from home:

How good it is to hear from you
the many things you’ve done
mixing with the Dumnonii
eating  Kernow’s creamy bun 

Taking in the way of life
as the pair of you can do
chomping champion sarndies
filled with crabbiness from Looe 

So nice it is to know how you
got respite from the rain
cos sitting here in Anlaby
it’s still a fucking pain

Masham Messengers

A Ropey Reply in verse, How good is that?


I loved your little ditty pal
it really made us grin
A po-em written just for us
we'll take it on the chin

The sentiment was lovely
and the rhyming couplets shrewd
I'd half expected mucky verse 
or something slightly rude.

You've charmed us both, in person,
now you captured us in verse,
We're missing you already Cliff -
that's it. I Know -it's terse.

Sue & Andrew Burrell
Millgate B&B Masham.
With love and apologies for the poem but you are called "Ropey" Rhymes.

Wensleydale Wending

Ropey’s been a rambling


Around the Yorkshire Dales
Weaving ways from Ellingstring

whilst sampling famous ales

for two nights stayed in Masham


Recommend you stay there too


The ’Millgate’ homely B&B 


Warm and friendly Sue and Drew

Whether ambling maybe rambling


You will find the Masham base


Is perfect when returning


To that Millgate resting place

A Work In progress

I'll get it done eventually

I feel it in my bones

So many things are turning up

Pressurising my postpones

It's on my list of hot pursuits

Which I am sure I will fulfil 

As soon as I can settle down

On other sides of my uphill