Category Archives: Poetry

(Pub Days) Tales From The Cambridge.

To sit in The Cambridge,

 the air warm with excitement,

as beer flows and complements to the flavour

of the rousing conversational chase, back and forth,

hurriedly

slowly…

the odd glass or three of

Simon’s Cider peppering the aroma,

punctuated by a Ginger Goddess

staring into her empty glass with the shock value

of one in need of another

after a heavy day hitting the books,

the pages in between and the words beaten

into submission, black eyed, panda like,

sat under constant university

strobe flickering wildly,

(Pub Days) Tales From The Cambridge. full post

(595 words, estimated 2:23 mins reading time)

Hannah And The Song.

No matter

how many times you make me feel

as though I must apologise,

I never hear the slightest murmur of a returned regret

or explanation, just the continued self-justified

rant of the hardly innocent, ever smiling, resolutely angry and bitter soul.

Is it possible

to feel more degraded than the way you made me feel,

the contradiction of the argument, the swallowing

of the pride in which would allow my dog

that barks down my ear, growls with impatience,

that slowly salivates and allows to drip

…

Hannah And The Song. full post

(315 words, estimated 1:16 mins reading time)

The First…

You were the first of a select few

many times

and have remained so

both our  lives.

From being my first friend, my beautiful comrade in arms,

the first who was the better part of me and

the shoulder for my head, your unwilling soldier sending

the S.O.S. out to be rescued, to the girl I asked first and who

quite rightly

turned me down. The woman with the fire in her hair

and in her stomach, the guts of a warrior, the compassionate heart of a nurse.

The First… full post

(347 words, estimated 1:23 mins reading time)

A Dance In The February Sun.

(For Stephanie Kerr.)

You danced for me, although I never asked you too.

I still think that afternoon was extraordinary and made

our friendship what it is today, built on a foundation

of responsibility of thirty years rather than destroyed

in half a minute as I bumbled around,

fumbled, stupid boy like attempt to ask you out and to dance

for a month or two.

You have known suffering, ordeals in which

I can now only offer a long distance shoulder

but one that has always been there and as we were both outsiders

A Dance In The February Sun. full post

(288 words, estimated 1:09 mins reading time)

Footnote…

Tears were never wasted on you but the anger

diminished as it should when somebody dies in your mind.

I see the face in other books and feel the sick-

ness return at the thought of you.

 

A Sonnet for the love of you, the memory of the cult

captured and freed with remorse, the handshake

unfulfilled and unanswered, my fault.

It matters not as I still care and hope that you are happy now with nothing at stake.

 

On your own request you relegated yourself from a paragraph to a sentence,

Footnote… full post

(141 words, estimated 34 secs reading time)

Friday Can’t Come Too Soon.

Ninety-six hours I’m away from your smile.

A delicate touch displayed on an unspoiled face,

I count down the hours, fingers marking time

and try to keep myself amused

through this horrendous trial.

 

Each week we go through the same ritual dance,

a tear hidden behind a fond farewell.

A promise that whatever happens to us

we will call at the same hour, each  separate day.

Wherever I am staying and wherever my thoughts dwell.

 

By Tuesday night I’m climbing the walls.

Friday Can’t Come Too Soon. full post

(177 words, estimated 42 secs reading time)

A Night Out With Metal On The Mind.

The multiple choice between Megadeth, Magnum, ‘Maiden or Metallica

T-shirts, crumpled to hell, beaten, seven shades of death

inside a second hand washing machine that dribbled

four star oil and council pop with regular ease

and threatened to catch fire whenever you weren’t looking,

locked horns with

the odd bit of your own valuable

spilled blood and redeemed soul,

imprinted forever, stained but unsullied and undefeated,

that always goes well with a great pair of jeans and trainers

that none of your well-meaning friends would be seen

dead in.

A Night Out With Metal On The Mind. full post

(1033 words, estimated 4:08 mins reading time)

A Very British Winter

 

Not so long ago but half a life time to me,

a single snowflake would bring joy

to my innocent, eight year old eyes.

A snowdrift would have me jumping

feet in first to feel the suspense filled cold

travel up my body till my hair went limp with dampness

and only a warm bath and heated towel

would suffice to keep me from sneezing.

 

I would love the time

it gave me time to stay at home,

or play down the rec with school friends.

A Very British Winter full post

(328 words, estimated 1:19 mins reading time)

A Farewell To The Military Man.

The train left with military precision

at twelve minutes past the hour.

The driver, so used to punctuality,

waited impassively for the station master’s

whistle to set him free like an eager greyhound

from the traps that bound him.

 

My bag was packed, half empty

having left behind part of my childhood

that would no longer fit within a so called adult world.

A name and number etched forever onto the surface of my skin

And peered at with frustrated,

Damning blue eyes.

 

A Farewell To The Military Man. full post

(245 words, estimated 59 secs reading time)

Celebrating The Summer Solstice With Dogs.

For many years, I made a point
Of standing somewhere amazing
When the Summer Solstice Sun rose Making a bit of a song and dance
As the Sun came up
Bog eyed and bleary
As the first dawn rays hit
I’d play a bit of music
Sing an ancient song
Probably
Sumer Is Icumen In
Wicker Man stylee
But without all the human sacrifice
And definitely no Edward Woodwards.
And it was good.
But there are other ways
To show your gratitude
For the miracle of Sunlight
And they don’t all need
A lot of rigmarole
You can say Hooray for Summer
Anywhere at all
Any time of day
So long as you feel joy
In the warmth of the rays on your face
And to that end
Taking the dogs to find the Sun
At the far edge of everything
Where the land gives way to the sea
And the path of the Sun glistens
Turning rolling breakers into gold
Now that’s a fine place to
Celebrate the Summer Solstice
Even if the dogs don’t know or care That’s what we’re doing.
The simple happiness of dogs
Splashing about
In the glittering sunlit water
Enjoying every moment
Sings a new version
Of Sumer Is Icumen In
Sings it straight to your heart
From mine.

Celebrating The Summer Solstice With Dogs. full post

(222 words, estimated 53 secs reading time)