Briefly known as Scary Ben for his eternal, inane smile, Ben Ross soon became known as Smiley Ben for exactly the same reason!

My website has been TOTALLY rewritten and updated. Go there now. www.smileyben.com. Enjoy!

Take a look at joiningthedots.tv

They've moved! Click the link to see the photos of the h2g2 meet-up. The h2g2 meet-up photos

My online routine usually begins either here on H2G2 or on Slashdot, if I want to know what is going on in the world.

Then I often check to see if anyone has referenced websites in email, and follow links if they have, before checking My Guestbook to see if anybody exciting has dropped by to my website.

Often I then move on to Linuxtoday to see the latest Linux news, and I tend also to go to The Hunger Site where you click a button and it shows you adverts which pay for staple food in the Third World. I still haven't decided whether that's a jolly nice idea (TM) or actually quite sick....

Right - let's have some poetry!

The Train

Riding along through the night in the dark
Reading, digesting, with the train driving on
Speeding through fields and trees in the cold country and
Into the warmth of the welcoming town.

Faster she goes as the view becomes spartan
Down between hills and on to the flat again,
Careering on Southward, to the mouth of the river,
Trees again, undergrowth, on through the thicket.

Suddenly darker, warmer and wet,
Sliding round softly, pushing on deeper
Out again, air again, breathing now softly
Taking in air before into the marsh again.

Landscape pulling itself past the still train now
Earth spinning round pushing them where they want to go
Slowing now having arrived where they want to be
And stopping, in the station, hot under the clouds.

The Sun Shines Down

She looked at me through the flames
And couldn't get her mouth around the words
I spoke to her, but never again
Since my last speech will go unheard.

I'd seen more than ever before
As all her hair was licked about
And that was her last I ever saw.
I could only shout.

I'll never know now that she's dead
If my words had reached her ears
Or if something that he had said
Provoked those tears.

I shouldn't think about it now
Whilst both her eyes began to stream
It wasn't through love she burnt or how
Her tears just turned to steam.

I wonder if before she died
Her nose had smelt the gas -
Her wedding bells resound inside
Right through her funeral mass.

At her coffin I pay respect
Her body lies in front of me
All I can do now is reflect
That she's entombed in memory.

The Boat

In my boat there are just
So many seats
So many
People I can trust
To sail with me
To where West
East meets
I see him by the wayside standing tall and thin
Begging for respite within
The little boat
But we must wonder if the little thing will stay afloat
Carrying three
And I should have told him no
But saw more of them wanting to go
None must stay
And all they tell us
Lined along the shore
Must swiftly and with no delay
Sail away
Now I am screaming
I cannot bear to see them there
Falling all into the freezing water
Where I have put them
Not my fault I cry
I cry
Tears into the water
None must die
I tell myself all must fit
Into my godforsaken ship
Tipping them out I shout
Hoping all will see I never meant
To hurt a soul
Holding fast
And sitting still
As the old boat went past
And then quite clearly
I could see
The little boat in which I stood
Grabbing at the poor fools who tried
And nearly died trying to sail by with me
Was really just a tiny gondola
And had but room enough for two
Yet still it is clear
As I sit by you
There still are some though only few
Who would if we allowed it
Join us gondolier

Marasong Two

In the tree a bird began to sing
Urging the day to take its hold
And warm her home and tiny nestling
Before he succumbed to the cold.

And there I sat beneath the tree
Watching this bird in song
I saw that it was better than me
Parental, nurturing, strong.

But then the bird flew from its home
And left a feather drifting to the ground
And me, sat there beneath, alone,
And then I saw it, and heard that sound.

And then the sun fell down and it was cold
And the rain stopped, and how they missed the rain,
And that was it, my life, and I was old -
I couldn't part the clouds, I never saw the sun again.

You can read more of my poetry on My Poetry page!