Saturday 13 June 2009

I Do

Andrew asks of strangers

whether they are married;

 

if they say ‘Yes’, he’ll ask them

who they’re married to

and if they answer ‘No’

he will ask ‘Why not?’

 

but if a loved one poses

‘Andrew, boy, who loves you?’

hoping he’ll come back

with  ‘Mum’ or ‘Dad’ or ‘You!’

 

he looks away and effortlessly answers

‘Me! It’s me. I do!’


Friday 12 June 2009

Wink

Leaving a restaurant he stalls and sings

loudly and strong

to a throng of people waiting, longing

 

for pizza, pepperoni. A mister

has on a hat

with candles and ‘It’s my Birthday!’ lit up.

 

Now all the crowd sing out ‘Happy Birthday’

and Andrew waves,

conducts a chorus extravagantly.

 

I bet you never saw so many smiles.

He parades aisles

winking at a mirror, giving himself the eye.


Thursday 11 June 2009

A Passion

Don’t suggest a scarlet sunset

at the end of a day dropping

reaches out in heat or fiery hands

suddener than all my love for you.


Wednesday 10 June 2009

Roll

Coming off a fell

at the end of an autumn walk

when kids aged 10 or under

sense there’s no more talk;

go horizontal,

roll downhill in spinning wonder.

 

Shout and giggle, twist

in mud and thistles, sheep shit.

Why stay with feet on the ground?

This earth is too much fixed;

so whirl the grass, kiss

the sky Old Codger stomping, stomping, stomping down.


Tuesday 9 June 2009

Les Mis

Dawn lifts. I travel East

and frost reflects an early blue.

So much here and very little;

locomotive, pen and paper.

 

Across, teenagers fratch among themselves:

please don’t enter consciousness!

If so, I hope it’s him;

the one who dances wearing baggy trousers;

 

a boy who sings ‘Look down.

Look down. Don’t look ‘em in the eye’

and looks you in the eye.

 

The opening song to a great performance.

Another day;

immense adventure.

 

Monday 8 June 2009

Alchemy


I want you to imagine a creature
after midnight walking from a winter sea,
lumbering forward, every feature
intent on reaching out for you and me.

He stands, a shadow, looking at his feet
stamping in a dawn on this cold
shore an alien, stubborn and eager to play.

Beware. He needs our heat
so shall we spark a match and aim for gold?
But he could test our metal - make your day.

Sunday 7 June 2009

Support Group

Here, now

eight pairs - sixteen feet;

black and red and green, beige.

 

Some of the soles are flat on the floor,

some of the uppers are nodding

or turn slow circles.

 

There! Ten toes poking their nose

and most of the soles are flat on the floor

but some are waving.