18/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Walking through the doors
There’s an unmistakable smell
Fresh coffee and old books
And just a hint of freshly baked cakes
The chairs are big and comfy
Like grandma’s warm embrace
And the service is friendly
And they’re always up for a chat
Sometimes I go in for breakfast
Bacon, eggs, sausages, tomatoes
A book of poetry with well-worn pages
And a large cappuccino to sip
It’s a good place to people watch
On a sunny weekday morn
The park across the path bustling
With kids before they head to school
When I meet friends for lunch
Chicken salad with sweet chilli sauce
And a cool class of fresh lemonade
Discussing the latest sporting memoir
It’s easy to lose track of time
And before you know it it’s been hours
Though it’s never a problem
To settle in for half the day
On occasion, when I don’t feel like cooking,
I’ll savour a frittata and side salad
And a large pot of peppermint tea
With my favourite Stephen King
It doesn’t matter what time of day or night
It always feels like home
A little shop around the corner
That takes me a world away
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
St Patrick’s Day
17/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I like St Patrick’s Day
Even though I’m not religious
And it’s not the saintly idea behind the day
That gets me in the spirit
But the fun and frivolity
That comes from celebrating in a secular society
Where old traditions are embraced
For a variety of new reasons
I like St Patrick’s Day
Because of the legendary stories
That surround this man of the cloth
And give him his saintly vibes
Like bearing the cross and the shamrock
In bold reference to the holy trinity
Even though threesomes of deities
Are well known in Irish lore
I like St Patrick’s Day
For celebrating a man bestowed deeds
For which he could not possibly be responsible
Like ridding a nation of its snakes
When no evidence of the slithery specimens
Appears anywhere in Ireland
Despite many a desperate search
Through the fossil record
I like St Patrick’s Day
Because it conjures up such novelties
As leprechauns and all that is green
Despite neither having anything to do
With Ireland’s beloved saint
But it just adds to the joie de vivre
That seems to emanate
From the mere mention of the day
I like St Patrick’s Day
And one day I hope to experience it
In the bustling streets of Dublin
Or the rolling hills of Connemara
Where I can immerse myself in the festivities
And lose myself in nature
Creating my own reverence
Of that ancient saint’s day
I like St Patrick’s Day
Even though I’m not religious
And it’s not the saintly idea behind the day
That gets me in the spirit
But the fun and frivolity
That comes from celebrating in a secular society
Where old traditions are embraced
For a variety of new reasons
I like St Patrick’s Day
Because of the legendary stories
That surround this man of the cloth
And give him his saintly vibes
Like bearing the cross and the shamrock
In bold reference to the holy trinity
Even though threesomes of deities
Are well known in Irish lore
I like St Patrick’s Day
For celebrating a man bestowed deeds
For which he could not possibly be responsible
Like ridding a nation of its snakes
When no evidence of the slithery specimens
Appears anywhere in Ireland
Despite many a desperate search
Through the fossil record
I like St Patrick’s Day
Because it conjures up such novelties
As leprechauns and all that is green
Despite neither having anything to do
With Ireland’s beloved saint
But it just adds to the joie de vivre
That seems to emanate
From the mere mention of the day
I like St Patrick’s Day
And one day I hope to experience it
In the bustling streets of Dublin
Or the rolling hills of Connemara
Where I can immerse myself in the festivities
And lose myself in nature
Creating my own reverence
Of that ancient saint’s day
Monday, March 22, 2021
Loving you
16/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
The recipe for loving you seems simple
First you start with two ingredients
A little estrogen and testosterone
And let them simmer nicely
Then you add a bit of adrenaline
For that bit of kick
Followed by a splash of dopamine
To get the heart going
And just enough serotonin
For those neurotransmitters to soak up
To create a bond that lasts
We’ll throw in some vasopressin
Just to make sure everything sticks
Finally, we’re going to add a pinch of oxytocin
The ingredient responsible for those cuddles
On long, cold, winter nights
And when all those ingredients
Have had the time to mix together
The result is a bubble of love
That can never be repeated
With any other person
In exactly the same way
The recipe for loving you seems simple
First you start with two ingredients
A little estrogen and testosterone
And let them simmer nicely
Then you add a bit of adrenaline
For that bit of kick
Followed by a splash of dopamine
To get the heart going
And just enough serotonin
For those neurotransmitters to soak up
To create a bond that lasts
We’ll throw in some vasopressin
Just to make sure everything sticks
Finally, we’re going to add a pinch of oxytocin
The ingredient responsible for those cuddles
On long, cold, winter nights
And when all those ingredients
Have had the time to mix together
The result is a bubble of love
That can never be repeated
With any other person
In exactly the same way
Loyalties
15/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I could never love another
My passion is unbounded
I live and breathe for the days
And the nights
And the seemingly endless afternoons
Spent in your company
The highs and the lows
The good times and the bad
Being one in the moment
A connection like no other
No question of where I’d rather be
Wild horses couldn’t drag me away
Because this is my life
My childhood
My adolescence
My youth and my adulthood
My world and my being
A space in my heart filled
With the triumphs and the defeats
Of all my years on earth
A loyalty flowing through my veins
That nothing can drain
Imprinted on every fibre of my being
Every neuron
Every cell
My beloved now and always
My loyal Sydney Swans
I could never love another
My passion is unbounded
I live and breathe for the days
And the nights
And the seemingly endless afternoons
Spent in your company
The highs and the lows
The good times and the bad
Being one in the moment
A connection like no other
No question of where I’d rather be
Wild horses couldn’t drag me away
Because this is my life
My childhood
My adolescence
My youth and my adulthood
My world and my being
A space in my heart filled
With the triumphs and the defeats
Of all my years on earth
A loyalty flowing through my veins
That nothing can drain
Imprinted on every fibre of my being
Every neuron
Every cell
My beloved now and always
My loyal Sydney Swans
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Glitter
14/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
It gets into everything
Every nook and cranny
You’ll be finding it for weeks
Even though you’ve scrubbed
Every square inch
Of every single surface
But there it is
Glinting in the sunlight
Mocking all your efforts
To rid your life of it
Knowing you never will
It gets into everything
Every nook and cranny
You’ll be finding it for weeks
Even though you’ve scrubbed
Every square inch
Of every single surface
But there it is
Glinting in the sunlight
Mocking all your efforts
To rid your life of it
Knowing you never will
An Unlikely Place
13/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I didn’t go looking for inner peace
Or anything like that
I didn’t really think I needed it
Because I was fine
I got through each day
Turned up for all my shifts at work
Did all that was required of me
But was that enough?
When I walked through the doors
To that tiny theatre space
I felt a sense of calm
As I took my back row seat
I was nestled in the corner
The outside world far away
Listening to the act on stage
Telling jokes about the absurdity of life
And as I sat in that small dark corner
I laughed and I cried as I laughed,
Happy tears and sad tears
That stained my cheeks as they ran
As the house lights came on
I wiped my cheeks dry
And gathered up my belongings
Preparing to face the world again
As I watched the crowd disperse
I realised they were completely unaware
Of the transformation that had befallen me
In that hour in the dark
I knew that when the walls closed in
And the world became too much
I could hide in that back corner
The let the dark wrap around me tight
I didn’t go looking for inner peace
Or anything like that
I didn’t really think I needed it
Because I was fine
I got through each day
Turned up for all my shifts at work
Did all that was required of me
But was that enough?
When I walked through the doors
To that tiny theatre space
I felt a sense of calm
As I took my back row seat
I was nestled in the corner
The outside world far away
Listening to the act on stage
Telling jokes about the absurdity of life
And as I sat in that small dark corner
I laughed and I cried as I laughed,
Happy tears and sad tears
That stained my cheeks as they ran
As the house lights came on
I wiped my cheeks dry
And gathered up my belongings
Preparing to face the world again
As I watched the crowd disperse
I realised they were completely unaware
Of the transformation that had befallen me
In that hour in the dark
I knew that when the walls closed in
And the world became too much
I could hide in that back corner
The let the dark wrap around me tight
Saturday, March 20, 2021
Dragons in the Outfield
12/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
He threw pitches like a canon
Strikes by the dozen
Three up, three down
And clean sheets galore
But his turns at bat were not so grand
Swinging at balls
And watching clean hits
Sail straight into the catcher’s mitt
When he did make contact
It wasn’t always fair
Flying foul more oft than not
Or finding a fielding glove
His coach was at a loss
At training the balls would fly
Clearing fielders and fencing
Homers coming every other pitch
So he went to see a psychologist
Who came to see him play
And diagnosed his problem
Almost immediately
A strange fear took over
When facing those blistering balls
And the wise old psychologist
Knew just what to do
She gave him a new persona
A character he could become
The sorcerer of scoring
And it seemed to do the trick
The very next game he got on base
And stole his way around
Getting home to thunderous applause
From his teammates in the dugout
From then on, his stats improved
And his confidence rocketed
The runs came thick and fast
But that home run was elusive
Then one rain soaked, soggy day
With the clay heavy underfoot
The crack of bat on ball was heard
And the infield watched it soar
It was pure magic as he rounded first
And continued onto second
Then third and home soon followed
As the ball cleared the fence
He’d overcome his demons,
The monkey off his back,
And all it had taken was
Defeating the dragons in the outfield
He threw pitches like a canon
Strikes by the dozen
Three up, three down
And clean sheets galore
But his turns at bat were not so grand
Swinging at balls
And watching clean hits
Sail straight into the catcher’s mitt
When he did make contact
It wasn’t always fair
Flying foul more oft than not
Or finding a fielding glove
His coach was at a loss
At training the balls would fly
Clearing fielders and fencing
Homers coming every other pitch
So he went to see a psychologist
Who came to see him play
And diagnosed his problem
Almost immediately
A strange fear took over
When facing those blistering balls
And the wise old psychologist
Knew just what to do
She gave him a new persona
A character he could become
The sorcerer of scoring
And it seemed to do the trick
The very next game he got on base
And stole his way around
Getting home to thunderous applause
From his teammates in the dugout
From then on, his stats improved
And his confidence rocketed
The runs came thick and fast
But that home run was elusive
Then one rain soaked, soggy day
With the clay heavy underfoot
The crack of bat on ball was heard
And the infield watched it soar
It was pure magic as he rounded first
And continued onto second
Then third and home soon followed
As the ball cleared the fence
He’d overcome his demons,
The monkey off his back,
And all it had taken was
Defeating the dragons in the outfield
Spending My Days in Bed
11/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I used to dream
About being able
To spend my days
In bed not worrying
About the world
Or getting up for work
But now that I
Have no choice
But to be in this bed
I miss having the choice
And wish I hadn’t
Been so stupid
As to put my life in danger
For a cheap thrill
Not knowing the result
Would change my life
Forever in ways
I never expected
Like resenting the bed
I’d long to spend
More time snuggled in.
I used to dream
About being able
To spend my days
In bed not worrying
About the world
Or getting up for work
But now that I
Have no choice
But to be in this bed
I miss having the choice
And wish I hadn’t
Been so stupid
As to put my life in danger
For a cheap thrill
Not knowing the result
Would change my life
Forever in ways
I never expected
Like resenting the bed
I’d long to spend
More time snuggled in.
Friday, March 19, 2021
Holding my own
10/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I was never expected to be as good
As fast
As strong
As agile
But I proved all of them wrong
The opponents
The media
The public
The coaches saw something in me
A determination
A courage
A force
That made me into something
That survived
That persevered
That triumphed
And I learned to hold my own
I was never expected to be as good
As fast
As strong
As agile
But I proved all of them wrong
The opponents
The media
The public
The coaches saw something in me
A determination
A courage
A force
That made me into something
That survived
That persevered
That triumphed
And I learned to hold my own
The Whisper
09/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Have you heard the whisper?
The talk about the town?
The factory is closing
The whole operation shutting down
There will be job losses everywhere
From the bottom to the top
Workers, managers, overseers
All will get the chop
No one seems to know a date
Or what is exactly going on
It’s all rumours and gossip
And a fear we’ll soon be gone
Without the factory and its workers
What will happen to this place?
No industry and no people
This is the future that we face
Many won’t be able to retrain
Their lives sunk into this work
No love from rich CEOs
Or politicians with a smirk
Right now, it’s just whispers
Passing from ear to ear and back
But when whispers become reality
Too many will fall through the crack
Have you heard the whisper?
The talk about the town?
The factory is closing
The whole operation shutting down
There will be job losses everywhere
From the bottom to the top
Workers, managers, overseers
All will get the chop
No one seems to know a date
Or what is exactly going on
It’s all rumours and gossip
And a fear we’ll soon be gone
Without the factory and its workers
What will happen to this place?
No industry and no people
This is the future that we face
Many won’t be able to retrain
Their lives sunk into this work
No love from rich CEOs
Or politicians with a smirk
Right now, it’s just whispers
Passing from ear to ear and back
But when whispers become reality
Too many will fall through the crack
Sunday, March 14, 2021
Shade
08/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
I’m done living in your shadow,
Letting you shine at my expense,
When I should be the one glowing,
Living high on my own success.
I’ve let you take all the credit
For the triumphs in our lives
When I’ve worked more hours
And driven every achievement.
But I can’t take it anymore
Because you don’t see the harm
In letting the world believe
That everything is about you.
You’ve spent all our lives together
Gaslighting me and putting me down
But I’m seeing you for what you are
And it’s my time to throw some shade.
I’m done living in your shadow,
Letting you shine at my expense,
When I should be the one glowing,
Living high on my own success.
I’ve let you take all the credit
For the triumphs in our lives
When I’ve worked more hours
And driven every achievement.
But I can’t take it anymore
Because you don’t see the harm
In letting the world believe
That everything is about you.
You’ve spent all our lives together
Gaslighting me and putting me down
But I’m seeing you for what you are
And it’s my time to throw some shade.
Hidden
07/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
I’m hiding somewhere good
No one will ever find me
Not an inch of me is visible
And I can’t see a thing
It’s a bit dark where I’m hiding
But they’ll never think to look
And I will be the winner
For the first time in my life
They’ve been looking for a long time
I’ve been quiet all the while
I can hear them searching everywhere
Except this place where I am
They know I don’t like the dark
And I’m being very brave
My bother and sister will be surprised
When I finally reveal myself
I know they’re really struggling
They’ve roped in mum and dad
I can hear them making a search plan
To try and find my secret spot
The cupboards are being opened
Even the ones I cannot reach
But I’m not behind any closed door
Just tucked up in my spot
The dog has sniffed around me twice
I think he knows that something’s up
But he’s not given me away at all
And I love him so very much
He’s curled up in front of me
Blocking me further from sight
It must have been an hour now
And they still haven’t found me
It’s rather comfy here
With a rug and pillow to keep me warm
And the dog breathing deeply
As he dreams about chasing butterflies
They’re taking their time finding me
And I wonder if they’ve given up
I’ll give them a little bit longer
Before I show myself
I’m getting a little bit tired
My eyes just won’t stay open
I don’t suppose it would matter
If I just had a little nap
I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep
I don’t know if I slept at all
But, somehow, I am in my bed
Snug as a bug in a rug
I’m hiding somewhere good
No one will ever find me
Not an inch of me is visible
And I can’t see a thing
It’s a bit dark where I’m hiding
But they’ll never think to look
And I will be the winner
For the first time in my life
They’ve been looking for a long time
I’ve been quiet all the while
I can hear them searching everywhere
Except this place where I am
They know I don’t like the dark
And I’m being very brave
My bother and sister will be surprised
When I finally reveal myself
I know they’re really struggling
They’ve roped in mum and dad
I can hear them making a search plan
To try and find my secret spot
The cupboards are being opened
Even the ones I cannot reach
But I’m not behind any closed door
Just tucked up in my spot
The dog has sniffed around me twice
I think he knows that something’s up
But he’s not given me away at all
And I love him so very much
He’s curled up in front of me
Blocking me further from sight
It must have been an hour now
And they still haven’t found me
It’s rather comfy here
With a rug and pillow to keep me warm
And the dog breathing deeply
As he dreams about chasing butterflies
They’re taking their time finding me
And I wonder if they’ve given up
I’ll give them a little bit longer
Before I show myself
I’m getting a little bit tired
My eyes just won’t stay open
I don’t suppose it would matter
If I just had a little nap
I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep
I don’t know if I slept at all
But, somehow, I am in my bed
Snug as a bug in a rug
Saturday, March 13, 2021
Mars
06/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
Not so far away
A little red planet orbits
It’s surface untouched
By human contact
Save little robot rovers
Sent to gather data
To transmit back to earth
Through the vastness of space
So that we might find out
Whether it can sustain
Human life on its surface
But I fear should we go
We would not learn
From the mistakes we made here
And destroy another planet
When we have the ability
To save the one we have.
Not so far away
A little red planet orbits
It’s surface untouched
By human contact
Save little robot rovers
Sent to gather data
To transmit back to earth
Through the vastness of space
So that we might find out
Whether it can sustain
Human life on its surface
But I fear should we go
We would not learn
From the mistakes we made here
And destroy another planet
When we have the ability
To save the one we have.
Friday, March 12, 2021
Strange Noises
05/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Have you heard the scratching on the roof?
What do you suppose it is?
It’s too late for birds
And bats don’t roost like that.
Did you hear that sudden thump?
Was that footsteps I heard above?
I hope they’re not doing any damage
To the roof or to themselves.
Can you hear them screeching?
Are they fighting all the while?
Maybe that’s just what they sound like
And they actually get along.
Do you think that sound is possums?
Are they really that very loud?
It seems more like a herd of elephants
Traipsing about up there.
Have you heard the scratching on the roof?
What do you suppose it is?
It’s too late for birds
And bats don’t roost like that.
Did you hear that sudden thump?
Was that footsteps I heard above?
I hope they’re not doing any damage
To the roof or to themselves.
Can you hear them screeching?
Are they fighting all the while?
Maybe that’s just what they sound like
And they actually get along.
Do you think that sound is possums?
Are they really that very loud?
It seems more like a herd of elephants
Traipsing about up there.
Hesitant
04/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
I saw you across the playground
Hair tied up in a ponytail
But I couldn’t speak to you
I caught sight of you at school
Sitting front and centre
But I sat up the back
I glimpsed you at the shops
Getting a chocolate milkshake
But I couldn’t say hello
I noticed you at the park
Kicking a ball with your friends
But I kept walking
I spotted you coming towards me
Smiling ear to ear
And you spoke to me
I saw you across the playground
Hair tied up in a ponytail
But I couldn’t speak to you
I caught sight of you at school
Sitting front and centre
But I sat up the back
I glimpsed you at the shops
Getting a chocolate milkshake
But I couldn’t say hello
I noticed you at the park
Kicking a ball with your friends
But I kept walking
I spotted you coming towards me
Smiling ear to ear
And you spoke to me
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Memory
03/03/2021 - Poem a Day Compilation
I’m starting to forget your voice
Sometimes I hear it in my head
And it doesn’t sound real
Just my memory of how you sound
There’s something in a voice
That holds the character of a person,
A whisper of their soul
That can’t be found anywhere else
The inflections that reflect their smile
The pauses and the rushes of words
That sing as they speak
And warm the heart of everyone who hears
When I remember your voice
It’s not quite you
But it’s all I have left
Because you’re not here anymore
I’m starting to forget your voice
Sometimes I hear it in my head
And it doesn’t sound real
Just my memory of how you sound
There’s something in a voice
That holds the character of a person,
A whisper of their soul
That can’t be found anywhere else
The inflections that reflect their smile
The pauses and the rushes of words
That sing as they speak
And warm the heart of everyone who hears
When I remember your voice
It’s not quite you
But it’s all I have left
Because you’re not here anymore
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Jekyll and Hyde: The colour of my thoughts
02/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
Your lipstick welcomed me
Like a moth to the flame
The roses in your hair tempted me
I was not to blame
My blood boiled at the thought
Of another having you
I saw red when you even glanced
At another man you knew
I bought honey dew and apricots
And we feasted on them all
It was an impulse decision
As we wondered through the mall
I should have bought carrots
To add to our meal
Instead of being frivolous –
That wasn’t part of the deal
That sundress you wear
Makes me so very happy
With marigold and lilies
And I hope I don’t sound sappy
Other men are yellow-bellied
Scared to take what is their right
Cowards, every single one
Afeared to show their might
I would gift you the grass, the trees, the leaves
If that should be within my power
No penny nor hundred dollar bill to much
To make my love for you too sour
Yet the green-eyed monster rises
When chance to meet a friend
And spend such precious time with them
From daggers through my heart I will not mend
My family stock blue-chip, trustworthy
Safe and strong as houses built
To protect fair maidens from such harm
That would cause lesser men to wrack with guilt
But I am blue without you near
Succumbing to that dreaded loss
That I may not breathe, my lips lose colour
And into a fresh grave my bones you toss
A purple haze descends around you now
Creating an air of mystery
That provokes a curiosity within me still,
That will be studied as monumental history
I am as King, draped in finery
Of deep mulberry and flecks of gold
But for you I would disrobe
For your eyes only this to behold
I am enamoured by your femininity
Soft chiffons of pink drape across your neck
While delicate bows lace your hair
And dreamtime petals mask the deck
I am drawn by your naivety
As innocent as the soft pink flesh
Of lips that never have been kissed,
Of body that my advance might cause to thresh
I am sturdy as the tree that stands
Protecting all that shelter here
Within my branches, each yet stronger
You should never know any fear
I cannot help but to wrap you up
And my mind does wander in this embrace
As your breast presses close to mine
To thoughts unclean and acts unchaste
You are pure as the driven snow
An angel freshly fallen from heaven’s door
That landed with such grace and light
I knew you were the one I must adore
My icy veins run cold without you
Feelings frozen and untouched
Harsh and cruel, without remorse
Miserly, my purse strings clutched
You are wise beyond your years
Not a hair any shade of grey
Yet you seem to know me well
And see the good in me, I pray
But stony-hearted I must appear
To those purveyors of doom and gloom
For I have no time for them
When radiant beauty I must groom
I look into your eyes and see a depth
As looking out into the night sky
Beyond the stars to another world
Being so beautiful I might cry
Dragging in all around it
My vast and unremitting soul
Feeds the core of my very being
I believed in you
01/03/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
I believed in you
When you were broken
And led you to the light
I cradled you
And comforted you
When you cried out in the night
I gave you more
Than I thought I had
So that you may be whole
I nurtured you
When you were down
And fed your aching soul
Now you are
A brand-new man
Confident from head to toe
And I am left here
Torn in two
Watching you as you go
I believed in you
When you were broken
And led you to the light
I cradled you
And comforted you
When you cried out in the night
I gave you more
Than I thought I had
So that you may be whole
I nurtured you
When you were down
And fed your aching soul
Now you are
A brand-new man
Confident from head to toe
And I am left here
Torn in two
Watching you as you go
Tuesday, March 2, 2021
I Entered a Dark Forest
29/02 – Poem a Day Compilation Bonus Poem
I stood at the edge of the forest
The sunlight barely filtering through
The wind gusted about me
And I wrapped my cloak around my shoulders
The basket I carried was heavy
Full of treats for my grandmother dear
Who lived all by herself
On the other side of the forest
I’d made this trip before
With my mother several times
And know they way off by heart
Even if it does look so very dark
I’d been warned about the creatures
Who live in the forest
And how they might try to tempt me
Away from the path before me
I was to ignore their plaintiff cries
And continue on my way
Straight to Grandma’s house
With no delay at all
As I ventured deep in to those woods
A wolf first howled then cried to me
Begging for some tasty treats
That surely wouldn’t be missed
But I remembered my mother’s warning stern
And kept right along the path
The wolf tracking right there with me
Hoping I’d change my mind
The wolf it was most cunning, though
And it snuck ahead of me
Arriving at my Grandma’s house
Before I was even near
It made its way into her room
And gobbled her up right there
Then lay upon her bed in wait
For me to walk through the door
The wolf did not look at all the same
As my Grandma’s gentle features
The ears, the eyes, the nose, the teeth
All certain give aways
I screamed my little heart up
Until I thought my lungs would burst
And a woodchopper working down the lane
Came running to help me out
He startled at the sight he saw
A wolf bigger than he’d ever seen
And me, a little girl wrapped up
Under the reddest cape there ever was
With one swift swipe he sliced the wolf
Straight down the front as it reared
And out stepped my Grandma
Without a scratch anywhere on her
The woodchopper took the wolf outside
And Grandma had a shower
She said she felt a little odd
From her ordeal inside the wolf
Then we three sat and had some treats
To calm our shaken nerves
And all agreed this story would
Never be believed
I stood at the edge of the forest
The sunlight barely filtering through
The wind gusted about me
And I wrapped my cloak around my shoulders
The basket I carried was heavy
Full of treats for my grandmother dear
Who lived all by herself
On the other side of the forest
I’d made this trip before
With my mother several times
And know they way off by heart
Even if it does look so very dark
I’d been warned about the creatures
Who live in the forest
And how they might try to tempt me
Away from the path before me
I was to ignore their plaintiff cries
And continue on my way
Straight to Grandma’s house
With no delay at all
As I ventured deep in to those woods
A wolf first howled then cried to me
Begging for some tasty treats
That surely wouldn’t be missed
But I remembered my mother’s warning stern
And kept right along the path
The wolf tracking right there with me
Hoping I’d change my mind
The wolf it was most cunning, though
And it snuck ahead of me
Arriving at my Grandma’s house
Before I was even near
It made its way into her room
And gobbled her up right there
Then lay upon her bed in wait
For me to walk through the door
The wolf did not look at all the same
As my Grandma’s gentle features
The ears, the eyes, the nose, the teeth
All certain give aways
I screamed my little heart up
Until I thought my lungs would burst
And a woodchopper working down the lane
Came running to help me out
He startled at the sight he saw
A wolf bigger than he’d ever seen
And me, a little girl wrapped up
Under the reddest cape there ever was
With one swift swipe he sliced the wolf
Straight down the front as it reared
And out stepped my Grandma
Without a scratch anywhere on her
The woodchopper took the wolf outside
And Grandma had a shower
She said she felt a little odd
From her ordeal inside the wolf
Then we three sat and had some treats
To calm our shaken nerves
And all agreed this story would
Never be believed
The Priest
28/02/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation
The priest sat looking out the window,
Long since retired from preaching.
His bible sat on the table before him,
Unopened over these last few days
He knew it back to front,
Could quote any passage from it.
He’d studied all the stories
And could recite sermons from memory.
He wasn’t sure when he’d begun to doubt
But it wasn’t a sudden revelation,
Coming slowly over time
Like a stalagmite growing within him.
He’d lived his whole life as a Christian,
Taking the lessons very much to heart
And trying to live a good life
And an example to his congregation.
He didn’t overindulge in drink
And counselled those who did,
Organising places in support groups
Or finding accommodation for those in need.
He didn’t believe abortion was an option
Except in the most extreme of circumstance
But forgave those who saw no other way
And offered them a place in his church.
But over the years he’d noticed
The increase in those of not faith,
Not just a migration
From one religion to another.
He saw that they were good people,
Not the monsters he’d been led to believe,
And wondered how a just deity
Could send those people to hell.
He heard them question his brand of belief
With logic and reason and grace
But what they lacked was an ability
To believe, to rely on just faith.
The idea that someone might be comfortable
Not knowing the answer to it all
Stumped him on many occasions
And he realised that he didn’t know.
There was no solid evidence
That would pass muster in an historical text
But he had faith there was something out there
Even if he had no proof.
The doubts that had crept in to his mind
Were of a more specific kind –
Was the god he felt in his heart
The same god he could quote chapter and verse?
He’d heard of a woman admonishing her husband
When he was lying on his death bed
For not praying hard enough
For the cancer to be taken away.
He’d read about all the clergy
Within his religion and others
Who committed terrible, vile acts
And never saw a day in prison.
Somehow the idea they’d be punished
In the next life by a vengeful god
Wasn’t as great a justice
As he believed the victims deserved.
How could he have dedicated his life
To an organisation so corrupt
That they would not just turn a blind eye
But actively cover up those evil deeds?
He could not shake the belief
That there was something more than this world
But what it was, and who was there to meet him,
Were shrouded in mystery.
He would go to meet his maker
Whatever he might find
And if that maker was simply make-believe
Then that’s where his story would end.
The priest sat looking out the window,
Long since retired from preaching.
His bible sat on the table before him,
Unopened over these last few days
He knew it back to front,
Could quote any passage from it.
He’d studied all the stories
And could recite sermons from memory.
He wasn’t sure when he’d begun to doubt
But it wasn’t a sudden revelation,
Coming slowly over time
Like a stalagmite growing within him.
He’d lived his whole life as a Christian,
Taking the lessons very much to heart
And trying to live a good life
And an example to his congregation.
He didn’t overindulge in drink
And counselled those who did,
Organising places in support groups
Or finding accommodation for those in need.
He didn’t believe abortion was an option
Except in the most extreme of circumstance
But forgave those who saw no other way
And offered them a place in his church.
But over the years he’d noticed
The increase in those of not faith,
Not just a migration
From one religion to another.
He saw that they were good people,
Not the monsters he’d been led to believe,
And wondered how a just deity
Could send those people to hell.
He heard them question his brand of belief
With logic and reason and grace
But what they lacked was an ability
To believe, to rely on just faith.
The idea that someone might be comfortable
Not knowing the answer to it all
Stumped him on many occasions
And he realised that he didn’t know.
There was no solid evidence
That would pass muster in an historical text
But he had faith there was something out there
Even if he had no proof.
The doubts that had crept in to his mind
Were of a more specific kind –
Was the god he felt in his heart
The same god he could quote chapter and verse?
He’d heard of a woman admonishing her husband
When he was lying on his death bed
For not praying hard enough
For the cancer to be taken away.
He’d read about all the clergy
Within his religion and others
Who committed terrible, vile acts
And never saw a day in prison.
Somehow the idea they’d be punished
In the next life by a vengeful god
Wasn’t as great a justice
As he believed the victims deserved.
How could he have dedicated his life
To an organisation so corrupt
That they would not just turn a blind eye
But actively cover up those evil deeds?
He could not shake the belief
That there was something more than this world
But what it was, and who was there to meet him,
Were shrouded in mystery.
He would go to meet his maker
Whatever he might find
And if that maker was simply make-believe
Then that’s where his story would end.
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