Halloween

31/10/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



I like the idea of Halloween

As a cultural tradition

But I despise the commercialisation

That comes with it today.



Give me a homemade ghost

Made out of an old bed sheet,

Or a mummy wrapped not in rags

But in reams of toilet paper.



Give me autumn festivals

With bobbing for apples

And scarecrows overseeing

Pumpkin carving competitions.



Give me big haunted houses

Where children giggle and scream,

And ghost tours though graveyards

For those who would dare.



Give me witches with birch brooms,

Black cats on every corner,

And spider webs hanging

From chimneys and doorframes.



Give me people coming together

To ward off evil spirits

By imbibing in such liquors

After the sun has gone down.



Give me stories of ghouls

Told at sleep deprived parties

Where children are up

Long after their bedtime.



Give me Halloween without commerce

With the only blood sucking

Done by cute little vampires

With the fakest of teeth.

White Noise

30/10/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



I long for white noise in the dead of night

When I yearn to sleep without the light

And crave dreams with all my might

Yet every time it is a fight.



I long for white noise to wash over me

For the creaks and crashes to let me be,

To sleep knowing that I am free

From the jarring sounds of things I can’t see.



I long for white noise to block out the sound

That causes my tired head to pound

But the clamour just goes round and round

And not rest can ever be found.

Better

29/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



I am better today than I was yesterday

But not as good as I can be tomorrow.



I am better than all my past endeavours

But not as good as my future triumphs.



I am better than the sorrows I have felt

But not as good as the joys I will feel.



I am better than I could ever hope

But not as good as where I see myself.



I am better now than ever before

But not as good as I ever will be.

Behind Weathered Stone

28/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



Behind weathered stone,

Atop scuffed carpets,

Upon broken tiles,

Through faded curtains,

In ruined rooms

Under eroded cliffs

Before battered shores

With splintered boards

I am worn down.

The Engagement

27/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



You proposed on the Friday night.

It was perfect, as I knew it would be.

The restaurant filled with family and friends,

Everyone excited in anticipation.



We’d known each other a while,

Were as close as any two could be –

Finished each other’s sentences

And stole each other’s food.



You’d booked the place out that night,

The staff were all aware what was at stake.

The service was impeccable,

The meal a masterpiece.



I thought back to when we’d met,

How we’d clicked right from the start,

The best of friends instantly

With so many interests shared.



You had to pick your moment,

Not too early, in case of rejection,

Not too late, in case of drunken uncles,

But just the right time, and you nailed it.



You always had perfect timing,

Always where you were meant to be

To share the good times when they happened

And support anyone through the bad.



Everyone finished their mains

And complimented the chef wholeheartedly,

Chatting animatedly amongst themselves

Smiling, laughing and enjoying the night.



I’d almost not been there, if I’m honest,

I’d had such a lot of work to do at home

But you’d convinced me you needed me

And it wouldn’t be the same without me there.



You tapped your glass delicately with your spoon,

And a hush fell over the room.

Faces turned towards you

And the manager adjusted the lighting.



You knew how to hold attention

And could attract it seemingly at will,

A mix of confidence and charm

That never wandered into arrogance.



Out of your pocket you drew a small box

And knelt down on one knee,

As a gasp arose from those gathered

And hands covered mouths in shock.



“It’s been five glorious years since we met

On that over-crowded bus,

In the middle of nowhere,

Heading to the back of beyond.



I knew the moment I set eyes on you

That I needed you in my life –

I am so glad that you thought the same

And that we have spent so much time together.



I couldn’t imagine anyone I’d want by my side,

Through any adventure life throws at us,

And it would do me the utmost honour

If you would agree to be my wife.”



Tears rolled down my cheeks

As cheers erupted all around

But I could not manage a smile just then,

When you were asking some other girl.

Let’s

26/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



Let’s sit a while,

You and I,

In quiet contemplation,

The world drifting by

Without we two

As we mull over our thoughts.



Let’s care not

For material possessions

Nor ties that bind us here,

For in this moment

There is nought

But the steady exhale of breath.



Let’s be at one

With every pounding heartbeat

That echoes in our chests,

Fading slowly

Until all that is left

Is the metronomes steady tick.



Let’s allow our tears

To roll softly down cheeks

That have felt too many

While we imagine

A life that is not our own

But hope to capture.

Petty

25/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



I found a note from you in the letterbox

        “Please tell you child not to be so messy

        And to pack up their toys when finished”

Considering it’s their yard, not yours,

I don’t think you have a right to be so petty.



The cops knocked on our door, yesterday,

        “We’ve had a complaint about the noise

        Of the leaf blower early on Sunday morning”

We don’t own a leaf blower, a mower or trimmer,

And the police apologised for the inconvenience.



Today, I asked if you’d poisoned one of our trees,

        “I do not do such things, I am not that petty, but

        I can’t say I’m sorry, its leaves went everywhere”

So it just confirmed in my mind that you did it,

Even though you wouldn’t admit it to my face.

With a Smile

24/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



Round here, it’s service with a smile.

A big, broad nice to see you type smile

That says I’ve just come on shift today

Even though I’ve been here for five hours.



You serve the customer with a smile

Regardless of whether your pet just died

And you had to break the awful news

To your child on the seventh birthday.



You stock the shelves with a smile

Even if you’d rather be anywhere else

Because this is what pays the bills

And puts food on the table.



You man the register with a smile

Because the customer is always right,

Even when they’re not

Because that smile is your shield.

Just Friends

23/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



You’re just a stone's throw away

I feel like I could reach out and touch you

But you’re just beyond my reach

And it’s killing me.



It’s just as I expected, though.

I don’t deserve someone like you.

You’re just too good to be true

And I’m far from it.



Just because I desire something

Doesn’t mean I have any right to it

And I just have to accept the fact

That I will never have you



You just don't get it, though.

The way I feel about you,

It isn’t right or just

That I should be tortured like this.

The Apology

22/10/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



I’m sorry.



I don’t know what else to say.



Please, help me.



Can’t you give me the words?



My heart fills my mouth.



I can’t talk.



I want to tell you.



I want to apologise properly.



The words won’t come.



They stick in my throat.



I fear they will seem empty.



That you won’t believe me.



I’m afraid it’s too late.



Why is it so hard?



Is sorry not enough?

Motionless

21/10/2020 -  Poem a Day Compilation



The wind has stopped blowing,

Its gentle kisses paused a while

As I stand on this beach with you

Just as I have done so many times before.



The waves have fallen away,

No longer lapping at my toes

Or bringing ashore seaweed fronds

To dry in the midday sun.



The earth rotates stalls,

Its movement halted for a moment

So that we may savour it

And drink it in.



A star suspends itself,

The first seen as dusk approaches

And the sky follows suit

As if in sympathy.



No air escapes my lungs,

An instant captured without thought

Burned into my memory

Of we two, motionless, in love.

We Never Stop

20/10/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



We never stop worrying about our kids.

No matter how old they get

Or what they’re doing

Or where they are in the world,

We can’t help ourselves.



We never stop thinking about them,

If they’re doing alright,

Whether they’ve had enough to eat,

Gotten enough sleep,

And are hanging out with good people.



We never stop loving them for a moment,

Even when they royally screw something up

Or break our favourite cup,

Stay out too late without calling

Or take the last piece of pizza.



We never stop wanting the best for them

And we work our butts off to give it to them

Whether they appreciate it or not,

Though we hope they do

Because it means we’ve raised them right.



We never stop being a parent

Because once you’re a parent

You don’t know how to stop being a parent

And your parents still don’t know how to stop

So maybe cut them some slack, ok?

Upon Barren Rocks

19/10/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



I sat upon barren rocks

Watching the boats pass by

I sat upon barren rocks

Watching the birds fly high



The waves crashed below my feet

The fishermen cast their lines

The waves crashed below my feet

The fishermen dreamt of summer wines



The sun glinted off the sea

As dolphins danced in the waves

The sun glinted off the sea

As dolphins passed hidden caves



I sat upon barren rocks

Watching wispy white clouds drift by

I sat upon barren rocks

Watching the world sigh

Rumours

18/10/2020 - Poem a Day Compilation



There wasn’t much to the story

We were on a camp with school

It rained and rained and rained some more

The paddock looked more like a pool.



We couldn’t pitch a tent out that night

The only dry place was a shed

It had been used as a feed store

And the hay loft became our bed



The boys all slept in their tents

That they put up on the dry floor

While the teachers and we girls

Were high above the snore



We piled all the bags between us

Like the great wall of china

It was a masterpiece of engineering

You would not find any finer



The next day the sun came out to play

And we hiked up the mountain higher

Where we could camp outside

And we could even light a fire



One by one the students took to bed

In their tents and sleeping bags

One last night away from home

And parents with constant nags



It must have been getting late

When I realized we were alone

Just myself and two teachers

And the conversation took a different tone



It was as if they forgot I was a student

And they talked about normal things

Like what they were doing on the weekend

Or how much they liked chicken wings



I took myself off to the tent

I was sharing with the other girls

And I was asked such questions

That would make you clutch your pearls



The rumours that they started

Were ridiculously untrue

They were simply causing trouble

For someone with friends too few



But it wasn’t just me they hurt

With their words and their lies

The teachers caught up in it all

Could not escape the fictitious ties



It spread on the bus trip home

From students to parents and more

The principal heard the gossip

And it was something he could not ignore



We had to give a full account

Of every moment we were together

It tore me apart inside

And my sanity hung by a tether

The principal knew we’d done nothing wrong

But the scandal had reached the press

The teachers were stood down from their roles

For a lie and nothing less



I was an outcast amongst my peers

And the rumours grew from time to time

While I shrank inside myself

Though I had committed no crime



The school year ended without fan fair

And I retreated to the shadows

Never to see those girls again

Their jealousy had caused such vicious blows



But what they did lingers on

And haunts me to this day

I still blame myself for not seeing

That they could act that way



Their petty lies destroyed my faith

That people could ever be trusted

And the lives of the teachers they slandered

Were irrevocably busted

Anniversary

17/10/2020 -  Poem a Day Compilation



A lot has happened in the last year.

A lot I’ve faced with abundant fear.



Everyone would say how brave I was being

But they could not see what I was seeing.



A world without your smiling face.

A world where I cannot keep pace.



I wake and you’re not there beside me,

But memories of you won’t let me be.



Too many dinners cooked you wouldn’t eat.

Too many lunch dates you won’t meet.



Your clothes hung in the wardrobe for too long

But giving them away seemed so very wrong.



I avoided places we used to go.

I avoided people we used to know.



I wanted to hold your memory tight

But I also wanted to run from it in fright.



There were spaces that you used to fill.

There were days that were a bitter pill.



Time passing doesn’t change that you’re gone

But each day I take another step on.



I went to my first concert alone.

I went wearing your favourite cologne.



I travelled with the kids to see your parents

But I wore your watch under my garments.



Those nights when we would have been out;

Those night were often filled with doubt.



I’ve started on the things I never thought I could

But I am also doing things you thought I should.



I’m not sure how I’ve made It this far.

I’m just blessed to have known who you are.

The Musician’s Wife

16/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



“Oh, your husband is a genius.”

Yes, he’s very talented at music,

He has quite the knack for getting the notes

To make the most beautiful sounds.



But he has no idea how to cook a meal –

I think even toast might be beyond him,

Let alone a 3-course dinner for guests,

Though I think he can manage a jam sandwich.



Don’t even ask him to put on a load of washing –

I think he thinks the clothes wash themselves,

As if by magic making their way from the floor

To the laundry and out onto the line.



I can’t remember the last time he shopped –

Even walking to the convenience store

To pick up a loaf of bread or a litre of milk

Is too much of a challenge for him.



“Oh, but he’s so busy with his composing.”

Yes, it does take up a lot of his time

And it is important that he does it

Because it does bring in some money.



But I, too have a full-time job I do –

I don’t just sit around waiting on him

Yet sometimes I feel like a servant,

Or worse, like an unindentured slave.



I get up always at the crack of dawn –

Breakfast is made, children are dressed

And the house is tidied as best it can be

Before I drive myself to the office.



When I get home, I see nothing is done –

The post is still in the letterbox,

The children have made themselves snacks

And toys are scattered around the place.



“Oh, but children need their mother.”

Yes, they do, and I love them dearly,

I would never give them up for anything,

They mean the world to me.



But they also need their father –

Who could perhaps spare an afternoon

To take them to the park to play

Or turn up to their school concerts.



Maybe, he could make sure they’ve bathed –

For all his talk, years ago, of wanting children

He has scant showed an interest in their lives

Except to boast of their achievements.



Would it really be such a bother to the world –

If his latest masterpiece took a week longer?

If his magnus opus was delayed a little?

If his life’s work involved more than music?



“Oh, but he’s an artist.”

Yes, but sometimes I wish he weren’t.

The Thief

15/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



You stole my heart

The first day we met

So small and delicate



You stole my spot on the couch

The first week you were with me

And I forgave you everything



You stole my lunch

The first month we were together

Because you were growing



You stole my toy rabbit

The first year in this house

And been through several since



You stole my heart

The first day we met

And never would I want it back

The Muse

14/10/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



I wish I had a muse to help me

As I sit here in contemplation

To do all those things that muses do

Like bring me cups of lemon tea.



They’d provide a well verses commentary

On affairs of a political nature

While being equally at home

Discussing the cat’s latest absurd antics.



We’d watch the sun rise over the water

Having not yet gone to bed

And we’d struggle through the rest of the day

Until we were finally overcome.



And I’d write the most eloquent poems

About their beautiful countenance

While they created reubenesque masterpieces

Of their very own muse in me.

Heartbeat

13/10/2020 - Poem a Day Compilation



Do you hear that sound?

The tiny glumph, glumph –

That too fast beat –

Which signals new life

Awaiting its day in the sun.



Do you see that flutter?

The smallest butterfly wings

Could not be as delicate

Nor as beautifully perfect

As that on the screen before us.



Do you feel that rush?

The infinitesimally tender

Yet most powerful wave

You could ever experience

In your whole life.



Do you know that realisation?

The grain of sand

That will become a pearl –

Our pearl –

Encased in our hearts forever.

The Colossus of the Ocean

12/10/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



Beneath the waves

Beyond the caves

A beast of great magnitude grows.



Under the sea

Far from me

A heart strains and slows



Leaving scars on whales

From tips to tails

Tongues become looser as they get wetter



It’s colossal size

Feeds stories of capsize

And the taller they are, the better



It feasts on fish

A delicious dish

A prey for which it patiently waits



It ambushes prey

Who wander its way

Using eyes the size of dinner plates



A rosy hue

Too big for a zoo

It roams the Antarctic deep



Few have been seen

To preserve we are keen

And this majestic creature we must keep

The Ten Commandments

11/10/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



If I were God, I’d probably think

The ten commandments

And all the others that come with them

Were a pretty good start.



        You shall have no other gods before Me.



Of course, we’d all like to be number one,

Especially if we’re the supreme being

And creator of the entire universe,

So this is surely a given.



        You shall make no idols.



I’m not one hundred percent against the idea

But I’d want them to be really top notch,

And definitely no idols to other things

Like golden calves, what’s that about?



        You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.



Look, I get it, I really do –

But, and I mean this, with all sincerity

No one wants their name to be a swear word,

Even the Lord, your God.



        Keep the Sabbath day holy.



Being God, I’d be well within my rights

To think mere mortals should show respect

Just for one day of the week,

Given I created the world they get to enjoy.



        Honour your father and your mother.



Yeah, I know, not all of them are good people,

And those ones probably don’t deserve it,

But if they love you and take care of you,

It’s the least you can do in return.



        You shall not murder.



So, this is a biggie, even if I say so myself,

And I’d be pretty strict on this one.

So, if everyone could just chill out

That’d be grand, thanks very much.



        You shall not commit adultery.



And I’m not even talking about the sex –

If you betray your partner emotionally,

Well, that’s just as bad and, frankly,

It’ll probably land you in the hot place.



        You shall not steal.



These might seem like common sense,

And most of them are, so just use your brain.

You wouldn’t like it if someone took your stuff

So why would you do the same to someone else?



        You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.



I mean, it’s a fancy way of saying “don’t lie”

But really, its also about keeping community,

Not causing unnecessary trouble for society

And generally being on the side of truth.



        You shall not covet.



Jealousy is a curse, my friends.

It will drag you down and destroy you

From the inside of your being

And turn you into a wretch for all time.



Now, I’d never admit it publicly,

So this is just between we two,

But I’m not a perfect person

And I’d probably be a less than perfect God



But if I stuck to my own commandments

I’d do a pretty stand up job

At keeping the human race in line

By setting a fine example.



I’d definitely rethink the holy book,

Given people can’t agree on what’s written,

And I’d make sure it had all the info

They’d need to get on with their lives.



I’d be a bit more hands on, too;

No one likes a parent who doesn’t turn up.

I’d visit more often than the other guy

Who rocks up every millennium or ten.



I’d get rid of those pesky diseases

That cause so much pain and grief,

But I’d do a bit more smiting

Of those who acted like dicks.



Maybe one day I’ll meet the big guy

Though I highly doubt it, myself.

Even if he exists in heaven,

By his rules, I’m going to hell.

Shower

10/10/2020 -  Poem a Day Compilation



I told you I was going for a shower,

You asked if you could join me there.

We’d only talked once before

And It was more than I could bear.



I went in the shower alone,

I didn’t even take my phone.

You were not allowed inside,

No matter how you might whinge or moan.



I didn’t answer your messages,

I’m afraid to say I was a ghost;

But it’s all that you deserved from me

But I bet it makes you boast.



“Another girl couldn’t handle me,

I must be too much man.

She couldn’t even take a joke,

I doubt there’s a bitch that can.”



I know you’ll find another woman

To try your lines upon

And I hope you’re not even as successful

As a bad telemarketing con.



Now, I’ve wasted enough time on you

I’m off to enjoy my day,

And if I ever meet you

You’d better not get in my way.

Melting

09/10/2020 - Poem a Day Compilation



My ice cream is melting

It’s just too hot

I don’t like summer

What’s winter got?

Home from Work

08/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



I’m stretched out on the couch

Exhausted beyond comprehension

Colour drained from my face,

Not that you’d notice under the makeup.



I’m too tired to eat anything tonight,

I know the others will want food

But they can wait a few minutes more

Until I’ve summoned the energy.



I’m proud of myself, though –

I managed to get through the day

Only needing to leave the office twice

For a quiet cry in the bathroom.



I’m terrified of the days I don’t cry

Because it feels like I’m forgetting

And I don’t want to forget

But I can’t live like this forever.



I’m trying so hard to not fall apart,

To not let anyone in my life down,

Yet I know I’m letting everyone down

Because I can’t make them understand.



I’m trying to spare them from this loss.

No one should have to feel like I do

Or grieve for someone they never met

When I carry enough grief for us all.



I’m not up to clearing the room out yet,

All the toys are still carefully arranged,

The furniture we’d saved from our first

Dragged out of the garage not so long ago.



I’m not ready to face that final hurdle.

I haven’t even opened the door

When seeing the name plate breaks me

In more ways than I could have imagined.



I’m alone with my thoughts too often

To be comfortable with them right now,

They overwhelm me still

And I need the distraction of company.



I’m aware that those we told the news

Have run out of words to say

And aren’t able to put their lives on hold

To cradle this family back to health.



I’m running out of pre-cooked meals

That saved me from thinking too much

When all I had to do was press reheat

On the microwave on the kitchen bench.



I’m sorely lacking any clean clothes

Because I’ve forgotten to do the laundry

For two weeks straight, now,

After my mother went home.



I’m lucky I don’t have to drive to work

Because I’m sure I wouldn’t make it there,

Not in one piece anyway,

And I don’t want to leave them short.



I’m sorry I had to use my leave

So much earlier than I expected

But I was in too much pain

And my brain wouldn’t function.



I’m afraid that the ache in my heart will stop

But the one in the pit of my stomach

Will carry on for the rest of my days

Leaving me numb and nauseous forever.



I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do

With this affection I developed.

I don’t know how to process it

And I am left feeling empty.



I’m struggling without even a photo to hold,

Just the agonising passing of time

Feeling the life drain from me

Slowly and excruciatingly.



I’m scared of the look on people’s face

When the words come out of my mouth

And it’s all I can do not to break completely

When they can offer no more than sympathy.

Midnight Struck

07/10/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



Midnight struck

No witches swooped

No demons gathered

No strange storms

Just the clock ticking



        The stars twinkled

        A possum scurried

        The birds roosted

        The city slept

        And my mind was sticking



Midnight struck

The roads were silent

The trains infrequent

The ferries docked

Just the world turning



        Somewhere out there

        The sun was shining

        The city awakened

        Life carried on

        But my mind was burning



Midnight struck

The sky was dark

The lights were out

There was nothing to see

Just my heart breaking



        The thoughts welled

        Caught behind my eyes

        Then seeped slowly

        Down drawn cheeks

        And my mind was aching



Midnight struck

The words failed

The pages didn’t turn

My fingers didn’t work

Just playing dumb



        No sleep came

        No sweet relief

        No tormented dreams

        No maudlin verses

        But my mind was numb



Midnight struck

No covert snacks

No last tipple

Not even a cup of tea

Just perfect awareness



        I can just be

        I can go easy on myself

        I can simply exist

        I can place my work to the side

        And my mind in recess

A Year in Haiku

06/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



        I

The new year rolls in

Resolutions freshly made

Soon to be cast off



        II

Hot summer kisses

As I run across the sand

On bare burning feet



        III

Autumn falls slowly

Summer lingers far too long

I don’t like the heat



        IV

Easter brings me joy

In days spent with family

And much chocolate



        V

Weather cools more now

The leaves turn on the branches

And life is better



        VI

A nip in the air

Is more consistent outside

And night falls early



        VII

The snow is falling

Up in the mountain ranges

But rare on the coast



        VIII

Winter bites at toes

Left uncovered by blankets

On dark, frosty nights



        IX

The spring drizzle falls

Riots of colour explode

Under blue-grey skies



        X

The year continues

Halloween has been creeping

But I don’t like it



        XI

It’s warming up now

Tourists a more common sight

I prefer quiet



        XII

Christmas is too hot

For a roast turkey dinner,

Better for cold cuts

The Significance of Childhood Possessions

05/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



There are so many material objects

From our younger years, our childhood,

That we manage to let go of,

Never understanding their significance,

Yet hanging on to the insignificant

For the remainder of our years.



They’re not so insignificant, really,

But their significance is just to us –

A cheap locket with a faded photo,

A trophy from a spelling bee,

A dress worn to a cousin’s wedding

Or a teddy bear given at birth.



They are the ties to our past,

The anchor for our futures,

Our life jackets in times of need

And the safes for our memories

That we dare not throw away

For fear of being haunted by them.



They are the parts of us

That will live on long after us –

That tangible link to our lives,

Speaking stories of our adventures

When we are no longer able

To generations we may never meet.

Circles

04/10/2020 - Poem a Day Compilation



I’m going round in circles

And I don’t know where to stop.

I turn and turn and turn and turn,

Making circles in this crop.

The Last Call of Boudica

03/10/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



Prasutagus, my love, my only,

My husband dear and always beloved,

With whom I bore two daughters true

Of such strong will and character,

Passed without due recognition

For the loyalty that he bestowed

Upon the great Roman emperor

And it’s vast and mighty empire

That encompassed land so far

From its own home and hearth

That rulers rose and fell without word

And were barely noted in the histories

Of our own glorious people,

Let alone those of that terrible realm

Who send their soldiers to abuse this land,

Its occupants given no sovereignty,

And living in awe of what may come

Over some horizon at any moment.



My husbands will, his spirit, his desire

For his kingdom to go to those two

Who bore his resemblance so well

And carried his name with pride,

Was usurped by unfeeling goons,

Annexed by those not of this land

And his property thieved before our eyes.

This was not the worst of his humiliation,

Thankfully inflicted after his death

So that he would not bear witness

To such a brutal beating of his wife,

My skin torn by lashings harsh and cruel

Simply for daring to be wife and mother,

For being only of the female persuasion.

My horror was at once compounded

By the screams and cries of those two

To whom I promised fair protection

And all a mother’s love and care,

Yet there I lay,

Unable to move for pain and grief,

Tortured as they were tortured;

Their childhood ripped from them

As soldiers ripped their clothes

From bodies yet undeveloped,

To carry out that horrid deed

Made from the corruption of their power

And the absence of affection,

That plucks that which should be left to grow

Without permission or any care.



This physical pain was but temporary –

A slave’s scars born by the wife of a king

Would live long after the wounds healed

And remind me of that horrific ordeal

For which the might of Rome would pay

With the blood and lives of their own sons

And the sons of their sons

Until my vengeance was duly sated

And my daughters bore the crown

They so rightly did deserve,

Earned by the theft of their modesty,

That which was theirs only to give

But was taken by force by those dogs

Who had not yet learned to heel

Before the Queen of the Iceni.



Though the tribes that surrounded me

Harboured me no good will

The enemy of mine enemy stood true

And their hatred for those from Rome

Outweighed the many petty disputes

Over trade and resources and soft borders,

And we Britons came together

To defeat a common, hated foe,

Though there was little choice for them

As my reputation preceded me

And I laid siege to Camulodunum

Burning their city to the ground.



The temple to that emperor, Claudius,

Of whom the Romans thought so high

They deified and worshipped him,

Was no match for my warrior band;

Its façade crumbling before those men,

A mere two hundred unarmed men,

Who were sent to protect that which I ruined

By leaders so far removed from battle

As to underestimate my conviction

And send so few as to be in humour

But I spared none in my endeavours –

Those loyal to Rome were soon dispatched

By sword and spear and the fires of hell

While those brave Britons joined my ranks

As we marched on to Londinium



On the Island of Mona, far away,

Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus

Made easy work of those feared druids

Where he murdered all he came across

And pillaged villages with reckless abandon,

Yet when he heard of my exploits

He though me no match for his wiles

And travelled towards that same town

As I was accordingly headed

With a force that would be no contest

For the army that amassed behind me.



With each passing town I gained still more

For it was barely a choice to fight with me

Or be trampled under the weight I bore

Down upon any resistance to my will,

That Suetonius turned tail and ran

Before the complete destruction

Of that settlement of Londinium

At the hands of what was a rabble

Turned torturous, bloodthirsty militia men

Under my stern and watchful eye.



Onwards to Verulamium we marched,

Swelling in numbers through fear and favour

A combined tribe of some many thousand

Outnumbering any opposition met

And absorbing those rebels who wished to join

Our noble cause of justified vengeance

Against those who would oppress our people

And spill the blood of the innocent

And I would make a firm example

Of those who stood against my command

And all who ever heard my name

Would know the destruction that surely followed

Was nothing compared with that which befell

That legion ninth of the Roman Empire –

Their fate sealed by their misplaced loyalty

To a long distant crown who abandoned them

To fight my own massed soldiers then

In ambush all but a handful lay deceased

Running off to masters unprepared

For my now all-consuming passion.

Three cities I had laid to waste,

Burned to the ground by fires fierce,

Their protections decimated in my wake.



This caused much consternation over seas.

In Rome, Nero weighed up options few –

To fight my vast army undermanned

Or withdraw to the last the soldiers of Rome –

But that thorn in my side, Suetonius, returned

To thwart my plan to rid these isles

Of those invaders and traitors all

Who sided with a foreign enemy,

And I was draw into a battle once more,

Yet my troops of far superior strength

Showed signs of that one defeating trait:

Hubris, that over bearing pride,

That allowed them to bring their kith and kin

To observe them engaged in battle from the rear

Preventing retreat from certain death

When caught by treacherous tactics of war

Where, squeezed into a valley fine and

Flanked by the enemy on higher ground,

We were exposed by that coward of Londinium

And he claimed his undeserving victory

But without that scalp he prized so dear

As I lived on to tell my tale.



But what am I without a fight,

Without an enemy at the gates?

My vengeance never wholly gorged,

For Romans still inhabit my land

And demand my taxes for leaders afar,

A tribute I will never pay

So long as I draw breath in to my lungs.

I would rather die by my own hand

Than give over my pound of flesh

To men who will not stand face to face

With that woman they so feared,

That nearly brought them to their knees,

And whose legend will live on forever more

In mistold tales of feminine heroism

When all that drove me in my ambition

Was a wife’s grief and a mother’s anger.

The Smell of Breakfast

02/10/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



There is nothing better in this world

Than waking up to the smell of breakfast

Cooked by someone who knows you

And loves you with all of their heart.



The smell of bacon and eggs sizzling,

A freshly sliced tomato sprinkled with salt,

Mushrooms cooked in their own juices,

Sausages oozing with flavour.



Baked beans bubbling in the saucepan,

Bread toasted under the grill,

A couple of golden hash browns,

All served on a pre-warmed plate.



A pot of piping hot lemon tea,

A glass of chilled orange juice,

A jug of water fresh from the tap,

And a hot chocolate for the kids.



There is nothing better in this world

Than waking up to the smell of breakfast

Knowing that the family is all together

And the meal was made with love.

The Cold Up Here

01/10/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



I don’t feel the cold anymore

I’ve grown accustomed to it.

That’s what happens when you live here

More than half your life.



I love the snow as it falls

And creates a frozen wonderland;

Drifts line the roads all around me

But I don’t need to leave.



It’s a good thing I like the solitude

Because I can spend months alone up here,

Just me on my own with my writing

And a couple of pets in tow.



The cat likes to pretend to help

By watching over me as I work

Expecting as her payment

An endless supply of pats.



The dog enjoys building snowmen,

then knocking them down again,

And gnawing on the carrot nose

Or playing fetch with its stick arms.



Sometimes I just sit at the window

And watch the world go by –

And endless parade of wildlife,

Their only care to survive.



The white-tailed deer frollick gleefully

As the spring thaw slowly edges closer

To my little wooden shack in the woods

Far enough from civilisation to forget it exists.



The cold up here never really leaves,

It just mellows into a soft puddle

At the bottom of the winding driveway

A mile or so away from the deck where I sit.



Even now, in the summer, sitting in the sun,

The wind leaves my cheeks a dusty pink

Where it’s kissed them as I stroll

Beneath the sugar maples and the birch.



The lake looks inviting right now

But I’m still not brave enough,

Even after all these years,

To swim out into its icy depths.



I’ll leave the water to the trout

And marvel at the birds flying high above me,

Their wings outstretched in splendid form,

Sailing in from their winter hideaways.



They’re not bothered by the bite of the water

As they swoop majestically out of the sky

Diving in for a well-earned feed of pike

After such an arduous journey north.



In the distance a black spruce has grown up,

Battling maples for every second of sunlight

And now home to a huge Osprey nest,

Their home after a day on the lakes.



As the sun sets, a nip returns to the air

And I think about picking up a log or two

For the fire that roared incessantly in winter

But now lays dormant most of the month.



I haven’t even opened my laptop today.

It’s sitting on my desk inside, unloved.

The next chapter can wait another day,

Up here there’s no reason to rush.



It’s only when I venture into town, I feel it.

The hustle and bustle of everyday life.

I left that world a long time ago

And return less often as the years slip by.



I don’t feel the need to head down there,

Not very often, at any rate.

The occasional trip to the doctors, maybe,

Or to pick up mail that doesn’t get delivered.



I stock up on supplies for the season.

I’m due to head in for the fall groceries

But I’ve put it off for three days,

It really should be done by now.



Whenever I think of that trip, I stop dead.

My heart beats faster and I suck the air in,

As if that my stop the world from turning

And put off the inevitable.



The town itself is pretty enough.

It’s filled with decent people, mostly.

There’re folk who are there all year round

And those that just come for the season.



I used to live in town, when I first arrived,

In a flat above the grocery store.

I’d sit at the window and people watch,

Looking for characters to fill my books.



Now I watch the wildlife do their thing.

If I’m lucky I might see a bear stroll by

But usually its just some claw marks on a tree

Or a footprint in the lakeside mud.



I’ve had enough of people these days,

They leave me colder that the arctic winds

That bite at exposed fingers and toes

In the dead of winter months.



Their stares as I drive the main street,

My beat-up truck older than their kids,

Tell me I shouldn’t be down there

And to make my business quick.



Twenty years, nearly twenty-five,

You’d think some of them might forgive me

But I will always be the outsider,

So that’s what I’ve become.



I’d much rather talk to the hulking moose

That saunters through my overgrown yard

To bathe in the lake when the summer sun

Becomes too much for its large frame.



It won’t judge me for what I’ve done.

It won’t take anyone’s side against me.

It barely acknowledges my existence

Which is just fine with me.



But I really do need to go into town soon.

Maybe in a day or two when I’m sure

All the snow has definitely melted

And the roads will be clear to drive.



What can’t I be like the skinks I see

Scuttling about between the rocks,

The flash of a red jaw or a blue tail,

As they search for snails, spiders and insects?



Then I wouldn’t have to face them at all,

Their condemning looks as if I were the one

Who ruined someone’s life for a bit of fun

Instead of being the one who was ostracised.



The joke was on them, though.

My little shack in the woods is my haven.

My writing den away from prying eyes

Where no one knows who I really am.



I’m sure they’ve all read my books.

I smile inside when I see them

Proudly displayed in the bookshop window

By owners who have no clue.



Sometimes I wish I could see their faces

When they find out who wrote that novel

Featuring the heroine from their home town

Who always manages to save the day.



The loons know because I tell them.

I dutifully read them each chapter

As I sit on the end of the dock

That juts purposefully out into the lake.



When I finish a chapter in winter,

I wrap myself up in my doona,

And hug my hot water bottle

And I relate the latest part of the tale.



They don’t care what I write,

Or if I read to them, or not.

But their haunting replies seem appropriate

As my words are carried away by the wind.



No one else knows, though.

They are too busy looking down on me

To wonder what it is I do up here

Tucked away from prying eyes.



I should have written today.

Knowing I will see him in town,

Knowing what fate waits his fictional self

Has made me more uneasy that I thought.



My heroine gets the justice I never could

And he gets his just desserts

While in real life he holds all the power

With his uniform and privilege and power.



But I find myself procrastinating,

Putting off writing this final chapter.

After all these years of wanting this

Why do I feel so monumentally hesitant?



The stars are twinkling against the velvet sky,

The fire is crackling peacefully in the corner,

And my laptop sits on the desk unopened

As it has all day, all week, long.



No matter how many times I tell myself

That this is cathartic and therapeutic,

This last book has been the hardest,

The closest to letting go I have come.



But there is no letting go of what happened.

No amount of snow filled seasons

Could freeze out reality forever,

And it is like an ice pick through my heart.



If they hadn’t believed me, I could understand.

I could have forgiven them years ago.

I could have moved on.

I could have persuaded myself it wasn’t real.



They all knew and accepted it,

Closed ranks around the town’s favourite son.

They couldn’t deny the wounds he caused

But they could sweep it under the rug.



Up here in the woods in my shack,

I still hear his footsteps on the stairs,

But those stairs are long gone from my life

As is the man who climbed up them.



Up here the trees protect me,

Their branches wrap around me all year long.

And in winter I welcome the snow fall

And the walls it builds all around.



The leaves will soon start falling,

A carpet of fiery reds and yellows,

And I will be safe with my animals

But not until this last trip to town.



Each time I go I pray I don’t see him

But he’s there waiting for me,

His presence making me silently relive

Every moment from when I said no.



The white-tailed deer know how he smelled,

The trout know every action he took,

The ospreys know the colour of his eyes

And the bears know that he smiled.



I didn’t feel the cold that night

And I haven’t felt it ever since.

The world can’t get any colder

Than when its people turn their backs.