Winter's dog days

Winter’s dog days

Suspended, a fly in amber
Trapped in the curve, the camber
Swung in a hammock’s u
Immobilised by glue
I am a water-beetle caught
In time’s meniscus, floating, nought
Here as the world stands still
Vanished the wish the will
Enchantment in a fairy tale
Replicating shackles, gaol
Has woven a spell, a silk cocoon
Cryogenic witching moon

With what relief the brightness comes
Liquefying frozen numb
At last with heart and head held high
Ready to whirl, unfurl to fly
Whither the song the air the dance
Fare forward voyager, fate and chance

28th December 2010, Brighton

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2010

Anxious for ice
For slip and slide
For accidental crack and smack
For ringing tills
And monumental unpaid bills
For how the hell to beat the sleet
And now the tympani of hail
Sudden as stones against the panes
For best-laid
Confidently made
Plans for gathering kith and kin
Trains motorways and planes
Taken as read, google-mapped
The many miles, no problem
Swift as Santa spanned
As we the festive folk
Christmas getters and spenders
Assume assume consume
The world to be turned
Justice spurned
For this is our will and our way

I seem to recall
A baby born, simple
Unadorned
Something stated stark
A star illuminates the dark
Meaning and message long long lost
As eyes in the gutter
Anxious for ice
The loveliness shines unseen

December 18th 2010, Brighton, for my faithful followers, Pam, Jude, Gill and Jenny, with love

Lily's snow

Lily’s snow

She wished and wished
And watched, praying for flakes
First flutter goose down
Pillow burst flock and flurry
Merry the fall the dance
Silent from starless sky
A spell a spell
A secret spread
Blanket to muffle the land
Then sheen and shine
As diamonds dazzled
Scattered shards
Splintering and crack
Jack Frost with ice at his fingertips
Turning the world to white
Winter night
When the Queen of the Snow flew by

2nd December 2010, Brighton, for Lily with love