Is it Poetry?

by

One Woman’s War

A navy blue river
runs down the A5*
sheet of green paper
that rustles in the quiver
of her clammy hand

Misty eyes scour
the blurred lines,
searching for meaning
in the weary letters
scrawled by a stranger

The last of one man
in ten sentences delivered.
Deadpan.
He regrets, she shivers,
and knows the truth

Her wombwarm babe,
whose downy head
she waved to
only yesterday,
lies cold and shroud covered.

 

*Standard paper size measuring 148 x 210 mm, half of normal A4 letter size.

by

Notice

Notice how the sun feels on your skin
How the wind makes you squint your eyes
How the rain makes you shiver
How the snow makes you smile

These things make you alive

Notice how soft the pillow is
when you rest your head
How warm the water is
straight from the tap
How the walls keep out the weather
to keep you dry and safe

These things make you rich

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Prayer to the Reaper

Death creep quietly to my side
smooth the life lines from my face
let the darkness rest my eyes
and wrap me in your cold embrace

Lift the troubles from my soul
soothe the ache from weary bones
I will submit without recoil
‘til but the shell of me remains

Stop my heart from pumping blood
so lips no longer crave the kiss
Tears will dry upon my cheeks
the scars of life to turn to dust

Then teary eyes remember life
and turn their gaze towards the light.

by

Backpacker Mother

This was inspired by my daughter’s current trip around South America, which she has loved while I have worried.  I’m a bit jealous too to be honest!

Backpacker Mother

In the tangled jungle of my mind
creepies and crawlies
bite and suck.
They feast on your blood
and fill you with venom.
Howls of the night
keep you from rest,
and contorted vines
grab at your feet.

Oh, and the poisons
that turn your mind within
and make you fear your past.
And your future.
Those poisons in the smoke,
the innocent leaf,
and the full round berries,
Juicy and ripe,
that would lull you to a soundless sleep.

In the cave-dark recesses
I see nothing but danger.
Whilst you, bathing in the dappled sun,
taut with adrenalin,
lean and young and brilliant,
agile and streetwise,
your light shields your eyes
seeing only the soft green shoots
and fearful creatures.
Seduced by that beguiling woodland.
Aware of only good

You go where I would fear to travel.

Take care. x

 

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That’s Life

The bubbles of wealth
used to rise in the glass
and tingle on my lips.
The label that I wore with verve
Skimmed lightly cross my hips

Hair in fashionable disarray
I’d sashay round the town
always remembering to cross my knees
whenever I sat down

I was finished y’know in Switzerland.
I folded napkins there
and learnt to act in a modest way
That behove a lady fair

In scarlet I went hunting
And found myself a beau
Not the handsomest of gentlemen
But he did have a chateau

I bathed in foreign sunshine
and royalty were friends
But it was just illusion
And soon the summer ends

And now its only tea
That’s sipped from paper cups
No more the trips to Henley
or Badminton or such

Gold has now turned silver
and my hips are not my own
and should I try to cross my knees
I’d likely break a bone

 

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The Secret

The secret of life said the woman, is to behave
in a way that is generally thought of as good.
To be careful of word and kind in thought,
and never get overwrought
about things that do not matter

The secret of life said the man, is to be strong
and brave and bawdy.To treat others
with authority and boldness,
and always win the fights
you choose to engage in.

The secret of life said the child, is to cry
when needy and cry when sad.
To be happy with small things like
paper and sand.To not become
emotionless or overbearing,

the secret of life is to not grow old.

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The Marriage

Her, with her white-veiled smile, looking up at me.
Him, with his unlikely carnation. Shifty eyed.
The football-shirted pageboy,
flanked by two pink princesses,
sulkily kicks an invisible ball

The mum and dad wouldn’t come.
Too young, they said through tearful, pleading eyes.
I pray to god to bless this union,
Though secretly my heart despairs.
Friends cheer as they briefly kiss

Back down the aisle in the meringue inspired, empire-line dress
To the waiting limousine,
Back to the waiting council house clothes,
and the soon-to-be occupied nursery.
To the terraces of silent acceptance.

Five kids and many beatings later,
before she’s even 40, I’ll see her again in white robes.
Nicotine stained fingers betraying her killer
as surely as any pathology could
Friends sigh, and turn their faces, as she glides away

 

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Not Quite Poetry

Every day I use my time
Writing poetry line by line,
Sometimes I can make it rhyme,
Sometimes, I can’t.

My head is full of tum te tums
When I just want to write
The serious stuff on big long lines
like proper poets might

The words come out as simple ones
Not intelligent, or deep,
Nor contemplative trains of thought
that make the reader weep

Poetically inclined I’m not
It doesn’t really matter
I’ll just keep writing day by day
And maybe I’ll get batter er..better

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Down & Out #2

You eager commuters
you don’t see me
in the shadows shivering
Remembering that green door and the
warm baking bread smells
A king in a pocket sprung bed
Beside my abdicated queen
And the curly haired prince who
No longer hears my song

You eager commuters
Forward looking
I alone have
Wealth and friendship
Bottle shaped
No idle chit-chat
But whispering cold comfort in my ear
and warming the broken hollows of my heart

You eager commuters
understand
This nook is not a chosen one
Not for its smells of rotting waste
or its views of shoes and hemlines
Of swiftly passing people
Averting their lofty eyes
From this pile of rag and bone
That used to be a man with house and home

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Insanity

If ever I go completely insane
I’ll wring my hands and call your name
I’ll hide behind a wall of pain
And flit and flick and shout and scream
and flash dark eyes
toward the corner
where you hide.

If ever I go completely insane
You’ll not be able to say my name
without excruciating pain.
You’ll squirm and turn and howl and scream
And turn wet eyes
Toward the corner
While I laugh.