My poems
May not scan,
Or rhyme
They may not
Conform to the Purists’ rules
On poetry
They may not
Be as good as
Vogon poems
But they all
Have one thing
In common
I like them,
And
I
Wrote
Every
Single
Word
©Alan McKean
Month: July 2026
Flowers
We went for a stroll yesterday, to test out our new cameras, and I thought I would try out some close up shots, so I took these in the grounds of St Leonard’s Church in Middleton, much of which was built in 1412.
The first picture is of the church, taken from what is known as “the old graveyard”.
and now, the close ups…..
and now, one taken by my wife
Low Tide, Orford
Here is a series of photographs recently taken at Orford in Suffolk. Orford Quay, on the River Ore, was awash (sorry!) with boats – a mixture of leisure and working boats, but what caught my eye was a small number of dead and abandoned boats on the river bank. These boats gave rise to the poem below the pictures.
Sailed my last tide
Caught my last catch
Ferried my last bird watchers.
The Ore’s ebb and flow
Are no longer mine.
My North Sea adventures
Now go to others.
Other craft
Follow in my footsteps,
But I remain in the banks of The Ore,
A reminder
To my successors
Of their future
©Alan McKean, July 2026
River Alde at Iken
Lazy water
In lazy July.
Slowly
The North Sea
Becomes
The Alde
Ere
The Alde
Becomes The North Sea.
Orford Ness
Watches both
With indifference
©Alan McKean, July 2026
A FEW SUFFOLK CHURCHES
Just a small set of photos of a few of the churches we’ve visited in the area of Coastal Suffolk. Most of the churches are small, very similar in design, and tend to be open during the day, often providing drinks for the occasional tourist, such as us.
St Peter’s Church , Blaxhall
St Peter’s church, Chillesford
a number of my wife’s ancestors are buried here.
St John the Baptist Church, Butley
St Botolph’s Church, Iken, Suffolk
I was really pleased to get this shot. The dead tree framed the church beautifully
