on time

Remember walking?
Sun breaking through fresh-formed leaves
Ancient paths through oaks

~

CLP 28/05/2023

on time

eventually
even the headstone crumbles
all is forgotten

~

CLP 20/05/2023

on time

Rough old seaside town
When not putting on a front
Can be quite charming
~

n.b. Brighton, if you were asking. Yes, I know it is a city now, but not when I first knew it.

CLP 16/05/2023

Full Cycle

Take me in your arms
Under the full moon
In the cool air
Of early May
Owls celebrate
Their rites of spring
In the woodland
Along the ridge
Bluebells unfold
Before the foliage above
Steals all the light
Shades in silver shadows
The church bell
Chimes the quarter past
It's early yet
Still time for bed
Hold me in your arms
We'll watch the full moon set
From our warm sheets
In early May

~

n.b. It keeps coming round, lighting our steps, marking our progress.

CLP 05/05/2023

Camellias ii

Warmth of late August
Soaked into patio paving
Heats our tanned feet
You take my hand
Lead me back

To the shadowed lawn
Still compressed
Where we had been
Sculpting joy
The night before

A blackbird
(Hidden by heavy pink blooms)
Sang to us
Of eternal love
As Venus pierced
Night's deepening blue

~

n.b. NaPoWriMo 2023. Day 30 prompt: a palinode.

This poem, I hope, balances the sadness of shadows implied previously.

This link gives some background on camellias and related symbolism of this ornamental tree.. https://www.bloomandwild.com/the-meaning-of-camellia-flower

And so we move deeper into 2023, a year that feels to be moving as fast as any I have ever lived. Adieu x

CLP 30/04/2023

Negation

I am sick of the sound
of your voice
You're always moaning
Whingeing
Complaining
I'm sick of the sight
Of you
and your tears
What do you know about it
About anything
You're stupid, pig thick
Dumb
Don't start
Don't interrupt
Oh, do be quiet
Haven't you got anything new to say
Hurry up
Get on with it
I haven't got all day
Not now, later

~

n.b. NaPoWriMo 2023. Day 16 prompt. A negation poem. Sadly too many of us have been on the wrong end of negation. Maybe, it’s why some of us write.

CLP 16/04/2023

Funereal

‘We’ll laugh about this one day’ you said

As the first handful of soil smuttered on the lid


I looked at the other lads, all smart that day, in black coats

‘Unlikely’ I'd replied, ‘There’s nothing funny about it.’


Typically, it was sunny, belying the mood

Daffodils dancing happily in the onshore breeze


A few puffy clouds sliding past, against the azure

We turned back into town, found The Nelson


Stood in the backyard, Jim wanted a smoke

Dissecting the night that went so tragically wrong


People on the next table joked about our suits

Which is when our Phil finally snapped


‘You think it’s funny? We’ve just buried out mate.’

He said it was worth it, when he got out six months later

~

n.b. NaPoWriMo 2023, a surprising laugh. Tricky prompt, to be fair.

CLP 05/06/2023

on life

every place I've lived
Milton Glazer's Dylan framed
together through life

~

n.b. The last frame (which was the first) broke in the move…now re-framed. Is that a metaphor?

CLP 16/03/2023

on time

memory of past
fades alongside agreed plans
future forgotten

~

n.b. Forgetting yesterday is a useful self-preservation process, forgetting what should be happening tomorrow must be frightening.

CLP 21/02/2023

on time

immersed in Ernaux
everything seen in context
lives in parallel

~

CLP 19/02/2023