displaced and out of placefor years I was lostin the rush hour crowd ofKing’s Cross Stationtongue-tied with wordsin the same language buta dialect whose defencesI never could break through the same but differentseparated by an ocean my peoplefought to cross death by a thousand cutson the edge of a paper my peoplefought to sign theContinue reading “Indefinite Leave to Remain”
Tag Archives: Memory
Absalom
Faulkner is a heavy weight of old grievancesunresolved, the fester of yearsburning an indignant holein a pocket full of rusty nailsthe bitter smell left upon thefingers that reach insidea taste like blood on the tongue It’s my Mother’s words about the familyhow her Daddy was the twin born lastseparated by mere momentsfrom the seat ofContinue reading “Absalom”
Sunday Tanka
On Sunday morningeverywhere smells of breakfasteggs, biscuits, baconwaffles in the cramped lobbycoffee at the gas station Back home now from our annual summer camping road trip, I’m trying to settle in again, but reading this tanka I wrote on the morning that took us to Colorado makes me long to head out again! Thank youContinue reading “Sunday Tanka”
Carnation | Orchid
Carnation A coronation for a buttonholenear a man’s impenetrable heartcloves drift from the spottickling the nose, begging entry A crown for the wristsof beautiful youth boundin a fancy dress for the promfull of promises not yet broken A tightly ruffled wreathin the bundle from interflorawho outlasts the roses and otherless hearty blooms,with its princely feetContinue reading “Carnation | Orchid”
Chrysanthemum
Lion headed autumn prizesroaring outside the doordaring to show fresh faces in Maycarefully preened manessparkling the early summer dewdaring the sun to bequite as brilliant in hisyellow raptures Once upon a timemy Grandmother planteda host of these rampant kingson a far forgotten side of the housean offering to the neighborsa place of pleasant pilgrimagefor usContinue reading “Chrysanthemum”
Gladiola
Mightier than the swordthese gorgeous stalks piercememory, arranged in cutglass in the tiny London houseawaiting the return ofthe bride and groom Outlasting the tide of realitythey burst with myriadfire upward througha field of knives,spiked-guardians in silentobservation with a stabof passion at the sky Thanks for reading!
Bee Balm
at a bed and breakfast in the Catskills,lost somewhere between 1985and a lump of sorrow in the throat,there it was on the plate:little edible pink petals,next to the fresh scrambled eggs: local cluckers and garden bountyserved by a man whodrifted through timeand opened his houseto the likes of us: two idiotswho later came back withaContinue reading “Bee Balm”
Azalea
I can still hear her voicetalking about them, bloominglike a bright gentle flowerfrom the bushes along the greens and fairwayssweet and slow as asouthern afternoon, spiced uplike the wine-soaked pork chopsand etouffet she loved to make I can still feel her hands,floral with lotion and softas butterfly’s wings, plusalmost as fragile,navigating the click ofknitting needlesContinue reading “Azalea”
A Pair of Italian Sonnets
Pristine Sistine: at the Vatican I walked and walked through halls of wondertil at last I reached the endwhere God’s own voice resounds like thunderfrom images well known as friends In awe beneath that gorgeous ceilingsequestered as a holy choiceoverwhelmed with thoughts and feelingsbrought back to earth by recorded noise Quiet! and No pictures, please!LoudlyContinue reading “A Pair of Italian Sonnets”
Tarantula
ng-legged hairy creepy crawly minding its own business on the dry ground. Long-legged hairy creepy crawly held up on a stick to be examined closely. Long-legged hairy creepy crawly interrupted! ….
The Poetry Patio 