In Praise of English Weather
by cricketjeff on January 6, 2012. © Jeff Green, All rights reserved
In Middlesex there’s not a lot of flooding,
Though other parts of England see their share,
And when the cherry trees have started budding,
The scent of spring hangs heavy in the air.
There aren’t too many hurricanes in Surrey,
A hint of one each century or so,
And ice-storms do not hit us in a hurry,
Though chilly days may make our noses glow.
In England we have weather, not a climate,
Our scenery can change from day to day,
No nasty spell lasts long, just sit and time it,
We’d hate our weather any other way.
For every winter gale or summer squall,
There’s balmy days of watching bat on ball.
In Manchester there’s rain on the horizon
But not a monsoon any time of year
A lot of clouds you have to keep your eyes on
But better days are always very near
No choking smogs hang heavy on our cities
In Birmingham or London you can breathe
We’ll sun our selves in any ark that pretties
The sort of spot where other nations seethe
What if it’s “bloody freezing” on the beaches;
Head off and grab a round of fish and chips,
One thing an English summer always teaches
Is keep a smile to fasten to your lips.
For every frozen runway there are days
When you sit watching cricket through the haze.
Not every house boasts air-conditioned splendour,
Though central heating’s de-rigour I’d say,
In England consequences will attend a
Decision to go under-dressed today.
I love a holiday that’s warm and sunny,
For skiing you need snow not melting slush,
We love to find our “rotten weather” funny
Since self congratulation makes us blush.
But truth to tell our weather worth applauding,
It’s not too hot, too cold or overblown.
Though I can’t count the days I’ve spent recording
The different minor niggles that I’ve known.
For every day that’s overcast and drear
There’s others that say “cricket season’s near!”
English