in this moment I saw you
impressed upon the sheet of heaven
your wings
lifting you above all
that ever bound you here
~
CLP 30/08/2021
Liberté, Égalité, Humanité
in this moment I saw you
impressed upon the sheet of heaven
your wings
lifting you above all
that ever bound you here
~
CLP 30/08/2021
early evening rain falling heavy on hot soil, tarmac, stone
evaporates fast, forms humid stock, soured by sweat
bubbles up in steaming cumuli that boil over
drive down dust, pollen and temperature
so that tonight we might sleep
unless it doesn’t and the thick soup simply simmers
as we pull covers off, ache for breathe, pull covers on
attempt to seduce sleep with scent
dowse it with floods of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin
and still we’ll perspire with pulses pounding
hotter, damp, worse than before
praying for a storm to break
a storm that will wake us where we fell
after sleep caught us off guard
as we lay alert to the flight of a curious mosquito
~
CLP 24/06/2021
shape
even
keel
storm
warning
heavy
swell
rough
sea
side
swipe
rudder
less
a d i f
r t
cargo
shift
off
kilter
ballast
dangerous
list
jettison
MAYDAY
MAYDAY
abandon
ship
sink
flare
up
life
boat
crew
manifest
bill
of
laden
salvage
attempt
salvage
attempt
insurance
policy
claims
list
~
NaPoWriMo 2021 Day Nine prompt: list poem…asked for “to do list”…but this is a poem about listing.
~
CLP 09/04/2021
She came upon us from the North
Dragging her gloomy shawl
Over the sheared hills and ploughed land
Turning blends of gold to black and white
Breaking limbs from oak and ash
Flooded the roots
Inundated roads
Coughing and spitting
She dragged her filthy sheets into town
Stuffed her discarded litter into the drains
Threw hailstones that scratched our skin
Turned the fair to ruddy-faced
We flinched at each attack
Our umbrellas reduced to sodden flags
Useless emblems of human pride
We staggered home through her spiteful wind
As she blew out the last summer lights
Then spread her dark wings and settled in
Gloomy angel of long winter nights
~
CLP 26/09/2020
Road becomes mud track
In grip of violent storm
Marks turn in summer
~
CLP 26/07/2020