Woman with Flowered Hat

I cannot greet with nod of head,so I walk erect and smile insteadat passers-by who stop and stareat the flowered hat atop my hair.My neck is long, the hat is tall,I must beware in case it falls.Tottering along the crowded lanes,I dodge the parasols and canes;the flamboyant blossoms on my hatraise whispering and lots of […]

Frequently the woods are pink

Frequently the woods are pink,hunched over, shy and nude,creeping round churned up fields. Carrion crows, grey as fading ink,pick at drowned worms, rudeand raucous as they wield sharp, curved beaks then sinkthem into mud, cackling a lewdcaw. Breaks in the treeline reveal the village church, a chinkof grey stone to lighten the mood,bobbing on the […]

Searching for Dark Matter

We could search the skywith the naked eyeor the ocean bedbut, when all is said, there’s enough darkmatter in a symphony,a masterpiece of art,prose or poetry. What the eye can’t seein heaven or below the sea,is hidden deepin our hearts and souls. Why do we feel the needto explore black holes(or alcohol in dark bars)for […]

Last Morning Before Autumn

Three o’clock finds me up early,unsettled by hoots, shivery calls and a swirlyglittering dome of stars in obsidian sky. Pale clouds wisp across fathomless darkand an owl magically curves an arc,low and slow, before it lands on the bark of an ancient tree. And then there’s me,face pressed against cold glass to seewhat I can […]

Grandma and the Red Umbrella

Whether it’s for protectionfrom the bullion blazeof the sun or acidic city rain,the red umbrella draws the gazeof everyone on Grandma’s street. It’s with her whenever she goes out,furled or unfurled, swung or twirled,you can see her coming in the distance,dancing and tripping on the pavement. She is the personification of jolly,always ready for gossip […]

Assignation with Apples

Nature’s fruits and their aromas are laden with sweet memories: a windfall of sparkling baubles or a bird café of dulcet squabbles over worms in russet orbs that end as feasts for our feathered friends. Each bite of your acidic sweetness arouses a harvest of ripe blushes in an orchard under cover of night. ‘We […]

[when i think of you]

after e.e. cummings i see your bike left haphazard on the edge of the forbidden cricket pitch fringed with golden hued birds-foot trefoil and clover, sky overhead cross-hatched with vapour trails, like the lines that sketch your face now; your face then was freckled, your breath sweet with bubble gum, lips stained orange with the […]

Reviewing a Pomegranate

We purchased it for mixingwith garlic and honey, a dressingfor grilled halloumi and sourdough toast. Its orb glowed crimson,the blade split smooth skin,spilling the ruby jewels within, and stained our fingers with fruity blood.Its sticky flesh held heavenly food,the luscious seeds tiny surprises crushed between our incisors,trickling juice upon the tongue,a fecund fruit with a […]