. . . and the overall winner is 'Gold Medal Reg'

once again showing the best fruit and veg.

Thank goodness at least he doesn't grow flowers

as even his weeds are better than ours.

We all admire the lone protester

blocking the path of the Chinese tank

but praise as well the tank commander

deciding not to make him a plank.

"I hear you've got a new flatmate.

Some-one said he's weird."

"Well, different, being the first guy.

Nothing to be feared."

"And is he quite good-looking?"

"Just another beard."

House proud nuthatch

It seems the hole

in a broken bole

of an alder tree

that was going free

was not good enough

with the entrance rough

but rather than move

he pecked it smooth.

Although we can't completely change work into play,

every little helps to brighten up a mundane day

and possibly provide a means of stress release -

don't they have such pretty cars, the police.

I was shocked by the stats on domestic abuse

with reports of one million cases a year

being brought to the notice of UK police

and even more unreported I fear.

In earlier times there was only the village

or neighbourhood offering partners to wed

so, unless you were into career rape and pillage,

it was only the local girls men hoped to wed.

Very few would be beauties but that was acceptable.

You and your mates were all in the same boat.

You'd be happy to share life with some-one amenable

and raise up some kids on whom you could dote.

But now that we see such beautiful women

in print and on screens for so much of the time

some men might feel cheated with average wives

especially so when they're past their prime.

Relationships also may suffer from so much

abusive pornography shown on the web.

When men get a thrill from the sex that they watch,

they then want the same in the marital bed.

Deep down men can harbour a sense of resentment

at women because of youthful frustration

through years of rejection when still adolescent

and consequent dark thoughts in masturbation.

When mutual feelings set sail on the ocean,

passion causes the crashing waves.

Love is the swelling surface motion

but the depth goes down to tectonic plates.

The awesome mass of so many fathoms

is composed of respect and admiration

which can leak away if the sea-bed cracks

and leave only dried up desolation.

It's hard to live in a harsh salt desert

with a lack of emotional nourishment.

Without a welcoming warm oasis

life is just banishment, punishment.

But even when there is no respect,

not even cheating gives any excuse

for causing a partner to accept

domestic violence or abuse.

I didn't recognise the true leaves of the seedlings

growing in the greenhouse in a tray.

And since I mixed some mole earth with bought compost

it's possible those thriving plantlets may

be something from the meadow where the moles dig.

How can I tell?  But now a single touch settles

the matter immediately.  Stinging nettles !