Christine Ash-Smith

Dartford, Kent, UK

I was born 21 February 1950 in Harrow, Middlesex and have been married to Richard for twenty-four years. We have two lovely daughters, Nicola and Andrea. I am a member of the RSPCA and have a faithful dog, Lady, who is a constant companion. I enjoy hobbies of gardening, writing, playing the piano and painting. After the recent deaths of both my father and brother, I found poetry a good way for relieving my grief. It helped me so much that I have since enjoyed using it as a way of expressing all aspects of life and hopefully helping and amusing others.

Time
For my dear Father, Selwyn Wells.

I used to think that life itself
Was full of ups and downs.
And every day meant more hard work
To earn those extra pounds.

And any chance of happiness
You snatch at, if you dare
But keep an eye upon the clock
There's just no time to spare.

And then someone I dearly loved
Was taken ill, and died
So for a while in my despair
I cursed, I grieved and cried.

Then I learnt that time alone
Will show you how to find
The gifts and pleasures left in life
And give you peace of mind.

So now I make each moment count
I look ahead and pray
That every soul will find the peace
That I can feel today.

Accident Prone!
Dedicated to my husband Richard

I know you want to help me
And I know you think I moan
But when it comes to mending things
You should leave well alone.

Remember the immersion heater
You'd fix no trouble at all
But turned the mains full on, not off
And flooded the landing and hall.

Attaching the kitchen towel rail
You nearly met your doom
You pierced the electric cable
And were flung across the room.

Then came Auntie's pelmet.
Looked good, without a doubt.
But when she pulled her curtains
It fell and knocked her out.

You even lost the dog last week
That was the final straw.
You hadn't even missed her
Please! Don't help me anymore!