Blue Skies In Tuscany

Poems about Life, Love... and Lesser Burdock

'I have enjoyed the book tremendously.' Sir Trevor McDonald OBE, ITV and ITN presenter

By turns moving and wryly humorous, personal and universal, this collection of 84 poems offers a series of philosophical musings on the natural world, and touching on numerous aspects: friendship, love, loss - including the threat to the countryside, - animals, plants, the weather, the stars...indeed all creation. Hugh Loxdale writes for those who revere the natural world and aspire to understand its mysteries.

Blue Skies in Tuscany

Blue skies in Tuscany,
Distant curving hills,
Cypresses and olive groves...
And flower-strewn rills.

Villas...and oak trees,
Old and evergreen,
Swallowtails that dance the hours;
Small lizards rarely seen.

The Oriole's lone recital
From a shaded bough;
Soft, warm breezes
That waft the cloudlets slow.

Lilac and yellow broom...
A splash of brightest hue;
Large, dark metallic bees
That visit swift and true.

Hot Sun...and strong scents;
The grasshopper that rasps its joy...
Amidst the lilting grasses...
That beckon and alloy.

A scene indeed so tranquil,
As if it were but dreams;
Here where the senses mingle...
To prove all is what it seems

The Jogger

The Jogger jogs on through the rain,
Despite the anguish, or her pain,
Through the park with autumn tints,
Ever onward, she tireless sprints ...
Every step, a milestone trod,
In her trainers, new fashion shod;
Her bright blue top quite wet and thin,
Clinging cold against her skin;
Along and down between tall trees,
She rushes past, as if she flees ...
Pursued by all the demons known,
As the leaves about her blown
Settle onto the muddy path ...
Past the Yaffles and their laugh;
On towards Hatching Green,
Where the Jackdaws caw and preen
Upon the plushest, sweeping lawn ...
On she goes ...and then is gone ...
Lost amidst the houses fine ...
Where rich folk live ...and sometimes dine ...
A fleeting beauty ...of muscular form,
Far above the aching norm ...
Her name unknown, her route inferred,
Her pulsing breath, ...her only word.

What the pros say...

'Hugh Loxdale…has produced an anthology of thought-provoking poems… His work is diverse, ranging from the humorous to the emotional – the personal to the universal, with an emphasis on the natural world… Loxdale is acutely observant of those around him. He undoubtedly has the ability to conjure up a detailed scene in the reader’s mind, adding a great deal of atmosphere with rhyme and rhythm.'
Clair Weaver, St. Albans Observer

'This book...conveys a love and concern for natural history that is the starting point for many a biologist. It has been beautifully produced...with a highly attractive cover.'
Dr. Keith G. Davies, Biologist (Journal of the Institute of Biology)

"This is an intoxicating collection with the subtle changes in tempo and style as well as subject.’
Dave Burbidge, Book Mark, Movie Club News