Poetry of the Month - May

Welcome to the May 2008 Poetry of the Month page.

The Peacock

As he flicked his tail like the shutter of a camera, I heard the whispers,
And she was there,
I saw her eyes burning,
And he was there,
I saw the prison bars as the fan unfolded,
I saw all of their eyes and their bright swaying colours,
I heard their cries as he squawked in anger.
And I saw them standing proudly and defiant.
He filled in the graves as his tail brushed the dust.
And I saw the flowers.

Winner of the BBC Radio Bedfordshire poetry competition 1998

Gone Fishing

Looking through the rear view mirror, rewinding the day, I find the floating moon.

A discothèque of lights dance behind the trees.

As the night provides it’s own brand of music, I go fishing in the reservoir of words.

Hooking only the moon, I toss it back snagged and puckered and see the old man smiling.

The lights grow dim, so I push fast forward and cast another line.

The . com crew

In the narrow lane, the on-coming motorist gesticulates like a rich person.
We take this to mean that we should pass and gesticulate like poor people as we go.
We arrive at a haven built on history and solid ground.
It’s peaceful for days until the dot com crew arrive with their white skin, nicotine breath and speakers on fire.
In the morning they sleep late and so the silence prevails save the distant trains that hurtle over the railway bridge or the wild geese that gaggle through my sleeplessness.

Yes, they’re the dot com crew alright; they’re a new breed, with new ideas, new energy and new rules for the new century.

Unlike us though, they never leave their cottage, so the . com car with the snazzy logo emblazoned, remains stationary, but alert and ready for take-off.
We begin to question whether they actually exist. We think they might be busy inventing the next super highway programme that will virtually save the world from its own inhumanity, or maybe they’re making virtual memories. We’re hopeful for both.

We know that with one slick click of the mouse, right or left, they can make change happen. They’re the instigators, the innovators, the pacesetters, the trendsetters, the ‘do everything faster and faster-ers and better and betterers.’
They’re the e-go getters, the myspacers, the spaced-outers, the self doubters with baby features that teach us and teach us. But they’re branded with words like expectation and civilisation, inflation, migration, starvation, temptation, frustration and location location, urbanisation and environ-mentalisation. Yes they’re branded and shiny and new.

And us? We’re spending our days clicking up our heels, imagining and watching clouds and writing poems and clicking our fingers, singing new songs, and recycling memories and jars and cans and coats and books and hearts and dreams and trees and rules and wondering.... . com

The world's smallest website!!

Haiku

From dawn daylight grows
It’s like falling into love
Nothing else compares

Haiku

We feel cloaked in it
It’s like falling out of love
The dusk changes us