Anne Griffin-Reynolds

Introduction

"My name is Anne Reynolds, and I was born in the area of Royal Leamington Spa,  Warwickshire, where there is a statue of Queen Victoria, who stayed in the Regent Hotel, on the Parade.   I write poetry under the name of Anne Griffin-Reynolds.

My father was my best critic.  Unfortunately, he is no longer with me and I have lost my best friend.  It was with his encouragement that I tried poetry competitions and was lucky enough to win some.  I was also published in the local anthology, also  a member of the Open University poetry group.

Years ago I started the first Llanelli Writers Circle.  We were all friends and became a close group.  We had a blind man who brought his big yellow Labrador with him - her name was Penny - and she saved his life as when crossing a road a car nearly knocked him down.

I studied 'A' level Psychology and Literature at the local College when I was in my forties, and also managed to get an RSA in computing, although I need to brush up on it.  For the past 20 plus years I have worked as a volunteer with the Police service and ran the Neighbourhood Watch Association with 160 co-ordinators all over the Carmarthenshire area.  I moved to Llanelli, to live, after my husband was demobbed from the RAF.  At that time I was a Civil Servant working in an old mansion house with beautiful grounds.

I have an intense love of all animals.  My main loves at the moment are Jamie, my 11 year old Scottish Terrier, my cat, Willow, who is nearly 12 years old, a stray black cat, Suki, who I have been feeding, and also a hedgehog who comes to the garden for nuts every night.

Now the spring seems to be arriving, with snowdrops nodding their pretty heads, I am looking forward to doing my flowers in the garden, back and front.  They have old fashioned plants in them, but they do leave a sorry mess in the winter.

It has been a pleasure to come onto this Scottie site, with Marion and her husband, and to meet all the Scottie dogs. I feel as though I have made lots of new friends.

Thank you all, and especially to Roger, who makes the web site so enjoyable."

Editor's note - Anne has also written 'Jamie and Pals' which can be read in our 'Stories' section.

 

 

 

A quiet stillness -
Grey bird with wary eye, beak open, contemplated engulfment as it hovered.
Instinctively, with a certain swiftness, it flew downward.
The wind arose and dismantled all of its feathers.
Grey bird became bare and the land was covered in white swansdown.

© Anne Griffin-Reynolds 2010

CHANGES

 

 

Tucked so neat,
Under his chin
Next to his feet.

Two eyes shut
Sleeping fast,
There he's put
Just like a cast.

Fur so black
Dark as night,
Dreaming back
In kittenish flight.

The sun shines down
With tremendous heat,
On grass that's mown
And smelling sweet.

Shiny coat, nice and thick,
Beautiful cat
Gives it a lick.

I think that you are getting fat.
Poor unwanted, black stray cat.

© Anne Griffin-Reynolds 2010

THE ORPHAN