Friday 9 December 2011

Andrew

Over multiple years
of separated poles – alone –
the sun has melted Arctic ice,
Antarctic crackled stone.

But, tonight, when you stood there
using only quiet breath
to sing ‘I wanna be like you oo oo!’
a white bird flew out from the warmth

of dancing turns,
Elvis hips,
burning eyes,
waving hands;

circled on the verge
of waking sleep
and drilled a crevice in my heart
that only children reach.

Wednesday 7 December 2011

Robert Frost wins at Scrabble

 I walked along a farmyard wall and saw
a face that I had seen a place before
- as gnarled and wise as any harbinger
but when I turned and walked another way

his face had changed into a howling wolf
that forced me, pinned me, savaged me with love;
conditioned to the wordless bard I am
- the final piece – which letter to put down?

Sunday 4 December 2011

At dinner, after the world burst into flame,


pans bubble,
onions hiss,
all herbs and spices
have entered our mix
and the fire of a stew
will ladle and soon
be about us, surround us,
beyond us, within us;

warm as a life
that survives its explosion,
we’ll share what is here,
(never thirst for what’s not)

and shout out ‘Thank God’
that the garbage has gone.