HAIKUS & OTHER POEMS

I mentioned last post that we had been in Cornwall for the weekend, here are a couple of haikus I wrote during the time we were there.

Cold, thin, wind-blown day,

a tent pole buckling tempest

that does not let up.

The wind was rather brisk as we attempted to put up the camper van awning.

Cornwall camping field,

still Sunday morning, silence,

then the sky lark sings.

the purple sunset

coats the underneath of clouds

painting them solid

Solder sea, waves in flux,

dull reflections of mercury,

sea like molten tin.

Next Saturday and Sunday I am appearing at the Lechlade Festival. I am running a poetry workshop on Saturday and doing a reading the next day. If you are free why not come along? It will be a fun weekend with lots of good music.

I have also arranged a reading at the Taunton branch of Lush for the poetry group I facilitate, Juncture 25. This is a new initiative that Lush are running, they are offering to host local artists, mainly musicians on a Friday evening between 7 and 9pm. We are reading on the 7^th June. Tickets are £3.00 and have to be bought before the event. Proceeds go to a local charity.

The magpies own the quad.

On the odd hot day, we may have use of it,

then they watch, half amused by our white flesh.

They will still be here when rain-lashed in winter,

we run for the shelter of the concrete cloister.

Have a good weekend. I am going to see the new version of The Great Gatsby this evening. I am not expecting much as it is one of my all-time favourite novels and the beauty is in the writing.

HAIKU DAY

I thought this week I would post some more haikus as it’s about six months since the last time.

Leaf floats on water

Ocean resting on the earth

The world spins in space

Leaf falls from the tree

Composting over winter

Feeds the tree once more

The wettest summer

The rain continues to fall

There are floods up north

The absconding sun

Has stolen this year’s summer

Left us with the rain

So many things call

The day is ahead of you

Now what will you choose?

This week I was again in Plymouth and as I drove down listening to Billie Holiday, I saw a magpie rise and dip in the sky above me. It seemed as if the bird was dancing with the sheer joy of being alive on a beautiful day. Later as I walked to the library there was another magpie on the path and she did not move until I looked away. I was fiddling with my phone trying to take her photograph, needless to say I did not. Not sure about the poem…

magpie high

imagaine yourself a singer good enough to float over the tune cool enough to be ahead and behind the beat as you chose now see a straight line horizontal in your sky watch how the magpie rises and dips everyside of that datum unable or unwilling more like to fly straight and take delight in her flight it is easy today she flows with the cross wind and you sing

then i arrive and she stares at me until embarrassed i look away then she takes wing only to be waiting as i exit the library

I’d be interested in your thoughts.

I want to leave you today with a link to the nice people at Corvus Press UK. Should you wish to, you can follow this link to their website and download a story to your kindle/ebook reader.

Have a good week.