1. A Great Wave at Shoreham-by-Sea
swallowing water
spume tentacles drag under
laughing children dive
2. Light Winds and Clear Skies
endless summer sun
red bicycles and ice creams
mackerel clouds lurk
3. Rainstorms
beneath the thunder
unhappy memories float
loss of a father
4. Under the New Flyover
hiding out in nooks
traffic rumbling overhead
a den of devils
5. Awakenings
after school romance
secret kisses in phonebox
homework holding hands
6. Chestnut Trees in the Park
ancient sentinels
climbing high for prize conkers
pride hung by a thread
7. The Other Side of the River
with horses watching
releasing frogs from buckets
city kids delight
8. Climbing Mill Hill
new road through cut chalk
a searing white scar dazzles
diagonal path
9. In a Field on Mill Hill
golden straw crackles
lovers lie in crop circles
distant views ignored
10. Wind in Our Faces
heads bent into gales
on the cusp of adulthood
exam notes scattered
11. Shops on the High Street
toy cars in boxes
furtively pocketing stock
crime and punishment
12. Sunset Across the Old Toll Bridge from the Bank of the River
blood on the water
light ripples beckon and sway
a swan bends its neck
13. St. Nicholas Church, Old Shoreham
cassocks and cold stone
holy communion wine
mysterious world
14. The Marlipins Public House
thick snow like beer froth
talking with fake confidence
underage drinkers
15. Kingston Buci
patchwork allotments
a lighthouse to guide sailors
old names remembered
16. Changing Perspectives
once there were windmills
the Downs a working landscape
now there are turbines
17. Bungalow Town
railway carriage homes
artists and photographers
early cinema
18. The Harbour Shore
sea defence ‘bumholes’
concrete structures for climbing
watching turning tides
19. To the East to Southwick
long coats and swagger
larking about with the boys
caught on camera
20. Watching Ships at the Old Fort
fishermen and gulls
basking sharks in hot summers
comings and goings
21. Graffiti on the Rail Bridge
a daring message
Happy Birthday to Louise
famous forever
22. Racing on Raised Paths
beside the airport
pillboxes and rabbit holes
brambles and briars
23. Pebbles and Sand
skinny dipping nights
smoking foreign substances
music and moonlight
24. The Old Swiss Cottage Lake
hidden history
torn down and redeveloped
postcards from the past
25. Reflections of the South Downs
this town we call home
nestled between hills and coast
still waters run deep
26. To Brighton by Bus
condensation drips
smoke fills the crowded upstairs
reading poetry
27. The River Upstream
mud banks and quiet
the tilled valley flat and low
mist lingers till noon
28. St. Mary de Haura Church
viewed from the tower
pigeons eye the waking town
breakfast is calling
29. Childhood is an Island
places we cherish
memories we store away
future safety nets
30. Views Along the Beach
longer than it looks
divided into sections
sand in sandwiches
31. Heron over Lancing College
gothic dreaming spires
choirs of heavenly voices
wing beating shadows
32. To the West to Worthing
the boats are drawn up
freshly caught fish sold from huts
family visits
33. Passing Over the Footbridge
it’s a long way down
hug Mum’s side and hold her hand
safer in the pram
34. Blue Circle Cement Works and Quarry
toiling and blasting
the belly of the Downs gouged
echoes of steam trains
35. A View of Hills Across the River
these once wooded hills
sheep grazed and windswept pastures
still holding back time
36. On a Houseboat
bohemian lives
time to set sail and move on
the world awaits me