Watching Over You

12/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation



As I stand here

Watching over you

Watching you sleep

The rise and fall of your tiny chest

I wonder what the future holds

For you

For me

For the both of us together

The fun and games as a family

The outings to the beach

Or boating on the river

Creating memories that last a lifetime

In moments that are gone too soon

But I’m also filled with a fear

That I’m not good enough

That I might fail you

And I don’t know how to deal

With the overwhelming dread

That leads me to contemplate

Whether I should be here

Standing over you

Whether it wouldn’t be better

If it were someone else

Watching over you

Always Five

05/04/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation



When you were little

I wished you’d never age

You’d stay my precious little princess

Forever and a day

But I never meant for it to happen

Especially not like this



The last time I saw you

Your smile flashed across the park

Your pigtails swishing as you ran

My mind occupied with other things

And you climbed the hill

Ready to slip down the slide



It took me a few minutes

To realise you hadn’t come down

I looked around for you

All to no avail

And the search became more frantic

As the minutes themselves slid by



My heart was beating through my chest

Hands shaking uncontrollably

Air struggling to fill my lungs

As I screamed your name

And fellow parents joined the search

But coming up empty



The police were called

They arrived sirens blaring

To take over the haphazard search

And co-ordinate the organisation

Of checkpoints and interviews

As I broke into a million pieces



As every hour passed, I cried

Tears staining my face

Salt stinging my eyes

The heartache and fear within me

Tearing me apart

From the inside out



Divers scoured the bay

From the mangroves at the shore

To the depths of the ferry channel

Extending the search

Yet still finding no sign of you

Or any clue of where you’d gone



Your face was plastered across the TV

Every network running the story

Of a little girl lost,

Missing, taken

Somewhere out in the world

Away from her grieving mother



My life was turned upside down

As hours turned into days

And days turned into weeks

And still no sign of you

As if you’d disappeared into thin air

Like the angel that you are

 

Strangers blamed me

Their anonymous notes

Shoved viciously into the letterbox

Asking me how I could hurt you

And that I should burn in hell

For something I could never do



The posters with your picture

Stay on every telegraph pole

Replaced within a day

Should they fall or be blown away

Or torn down by unfeeling monsters

Who will never understand



Somewhere you are out there

And I hope you remember me

But as the years drag by

I feel I might be just a dream you have

That haunts you as you sleep

And you don’t know why



I try to imagine what you look like

As the birthdays come and go

And now that you’d be an adult

The fear that I wouldn’t know you

If I passed you in the street

Fills my heart with dread



What music are you into?

Do you still love to read?

There are so many things I want to know

But will never get the chance

Because someone stole you from me

And I fear I’ll never get you back



So, while you’re turning twenty today

I can’t see you that way

My precious little princess

All grown without me there

A life lived that I’ll never know

Because to me you’re always five.

In Five Years

26/02/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation



In five years, you’ll be 21

In your own place, maybe

Have a partner

Possibly have a degree

Or at least a qualification

And be out in the world.



I wonder what sort of job you’ll have,

Whether it’s a train driver

Like you imagined when you were little,

Or a meteorologist or historian

Like you want to be now

Or something completely different.



It doesn’t really matter what you do

Or who you love

As long as you’re happy

And know that whatever choices you make

I will always be there for you

In five years or in 50 years time.

Why can’t girls …

18/02/2021 – Poem a Day Compilation



        Darling daughter, you look sad

        What’s on your mind, my sweet?

        You seem a little upset, my dear,

        Is there something I can fix?



My friends at school were talking

About what their daddies do

And when I said I wanted to be like them

They said they were only jobs for dads.



        What type of jobs did they mention?

        I’m sure I’ve never seen a job

        That only men are qualified for,

        Let’s see this list of yours!



Why can’t girls play football?

I can run

And kick

And tackle.



        You can do all those things

        And you could be the next Sam Kerr

        Or maybe Daisy Pearce

        If you really wanted to.



Why can’t girls be software developers?

I can code

And am creative

And have an eye for detail.



        There are many women in software

        Just ask Jaime Gunther or Jane Chau

        And they’ll give you a long, long list

        If that’s what you want to do.



Why can’t girls be farmers?

I can sheet a sheep

And milk a cow

And plough a field.



        A lot has changed in this century

        And many women run farms

        I’m sure Lorraine Gordon

        Could shed a little light.



Why can’t girls work construction?

I can drive heavy machinery

And use power tools

And push a wheelbarrow.



        There’s no part of that you shouldn’t do

        If that’s your chosen profession

        If you want a female tradie

        Then Penny Petridis is the person to ask,



Why can’t girls be engineers?

I can design technological solutions

And test production lines

And analyse risks.



        You could be a chemical engineer like Marlene Kanga

        Or do infrastructure like Elizabeth Taylor

        Maybe defence engineering like Trish White

        Or take on the civil side like Mehreen Faruqi



Why can’t girls be astronauts?

I can study the planets

And work in microgravity

And be away from my family.



        Christina Koch and Jessica Meir

        Have done a lap or two

        Around this planet we call home

        And maybe you will, too



Why can’t girls be architects?

I can design skyscrapers

And be a visionary

And plan every step.



        Have you heard of Momoyo Kaijima?

        Well, you should probably look her up,

        I’m sure he was headstrong just like you

        When she was a little girl.



Why can’t girls be firefighters?

I can hold a hose

And carry more than my weight

And risk my life.



        We’ve got captains and assistant commissioners

        Who are in the fire service

        Like Louise Livermore and Rebel Talbert

        Not to mention all-female crews!



Why can’t girls be pilots?

I can understand meteorological information

And be calm under pressure

And remember what all the buttons do.



        Deborah Wardley was told she couldn’t

        But she proved them very wrong,

        And Nancy Bird Walton

        Is getting an airport named after her. 



Why can’t girls be judges?

I can study hard

And be impartial

And uphold the law.



        I hardly think Virginia Bell

        Let a man tell her she couldn’t be a judge

        Or he’d have been appearing before her

        In a supreme case of misogyny



Why can’t girls be CEOs?

I can run a business

And handle problems

And manage money.



        Melanie Perins didn’t let being a girl

        Stop her in her tracks

        When she started up her business

        That’s now massive in tech.



So, I can be anything

Just like all those other girls?

Do you really think it’s possible

For me to be like them?



        Not only is it possible,

        It’s practically a guarantee

        And don’t let anyone tell you

        You can’t because you’re a girl.

Christmas Eve

24/12/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



I’ve never heard them so quiet

Or seen them so well behaved

You’d think they were being rewarded

And a day of grace has them saved



It’s lucky they’re pretty good kids

Not perfect, but good just the same

They get up to such mischief

But never try to pass the blame



They’ve set out milk and cookies for Santa

Carrots and water for the reindeer

A bottle of schnapps for Mrs Claus

And for the elves, some beer



They’re tucked up in bed early

Dreaming of magical hooves on the roof

And listening for sleigh bells in the sky

Hoping to find conclusive proof



For now, they’re sound asleep but

In the morning there’ll be giggles galore

Squeals of delight and the clatter of new toys

Wrapping paper strewn across the floor



And with the house finally at rest

It’s time for me to hang up my cloak

Take a small sip of schnapps

And wish a Merry Christmas to you fine folk

Embarrassing: What parents want to say to their teenagers but can't

02/12/2020 - Poem a Day Compilation



Oh, my god, mum

You’re so embarrassing.

How are we even related?

Can you just … not?



        All I did was turn up.

        You’d think the world ended

        Because you happen to be seen

        In public, with your mother!



What are you wearing?

You look like a grandma.

Why can’t you wear something

A little more fashionable?



        Of course, you know, don’t you,

        That if I turned up in anything

        That was even remotely fashionable

        You’d think I was trying too hard.



Do you have to talk so loudly?

Everyone can hear you

And then they look!

I don’t want them thinking it’s me.



        I don’t know if you've noticed 

        But when you get with your girlfriends

        You could fly a jet overhead

        And no one would be able to hear it.



I don’t want a hug and a kiss,

I’m not a little kid anymore.

No one else’s parents do that

It’s just weird and awkward.



        You’re such a long time an adult

        And you’ll have to forgive me

        But I wish you weren’t in such a rush

        To grow up and enjoyed childhood.



Don’t talk to my friends.

They don’t care what music you’re into

Or whether you watched a movie

Or where you went last weekend.



        I have amazing taste in music

        You’d be very surprised

        By what your friends listen to,

        Especially Janie, she likes metal.



Why can’t you look like Johnny’s mum?

She looks amazing.

I bet she doesn’t eat ice cream and chocolate

All the time like you do.



        No, she probably doesn’t

        But I don’t drink like a fish

        Like she does, either,

        And I rather be overweight, to be fair.



You’re too old to be dating.

Jessica’s mum is on her own

And she doesn’t run around

Like she’s trying to be a teenager.



        Jessica’s mum has just gotten a divorce

        From an abusive husband

        Whereas I have been on my own

        Most of your very short life.



You never let me do anything fun,

Like that concert I went to

And you made me come straight home

When everyone else was going out after.



        Friday night in the middle of the city

        Is no place for a fourteen year old

        And I will always do what is needed

        To keep you as safe as I can.



Why don’t you listen to me?

You’re so embarrassing

I just want you to be normal

Like everyone else’s mum.



        If I told you half the things, my sweet,

        About the other mums you know

        You would be horrified

        But we’re all just doing the best we can.

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?

How to make a Chocolate Cake

28/07/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



This recipe gives a preparation time

Of forty minutes but, I think 

They have neglected to include

The dash to the shops because

I have forgotten at least two

Of the main ingredients.



According to the directions

It makes one 8-inch two-layer cake

But does that allow for me

Sampling the mix as I go

And the children who want

To lick beaters and the bowl?



First, I need to preheat oven to 350 degrees.

No, first, I need to look up how to convert

Fahrenheit to Centigrade

Or run the risk of burning the house down

And having no chocolate cake to show for it,

Which may be the bigger tragedy here.



Next, I must butter cake pans.

Clearly, the first instruction

Should have been to remove said butter

From the fridge so that it can be

Applied easily to the cake pans

By small children who refuse to wait patiently.



No, child, when it says to “line bottoms

with parchment paper, and butter paper”

It does not mean to line your own bottom

Using the butter to hold it in place,

Now I must get more butter out

And find more parchment paper.



Then comes the dusting of the pans with cocoa;

And the dusting on the counter tops,

The recipe book, and the younger brother.

Followed by the tapping out the excess cocoa

Directly, in theory, into the mouth of older sister

Who gets some in her eye almost immediately.



After carefully washing out said daughters eye

We sift the cocoa, flour, baking soda,

baking powder, salt, and sugar into a bowl.

Well, most of it is in the bowl.

Some is on the benchtops with the cocoa

And I’m sure some is in my slipper, as well.



The next instruction is to beat in oil,

Buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, and hot water

ONE AT A TIME, CHILD!

Be sure to use the mixer set at low

(Don’t ask me how I know this)

And beat ‘til smooth, or you run out of patience.



Pour the batter into the pans yourself.

Do not be persuaded by puppy dog eyes

From small humans

Covered in various ingredients

That were supposed to be in the bowl

And not in every orifice of their body.



Bake for 45 to 55 minutes,

Or until a toothpick inserted into the centre

Comes out clean enough that

The child still hovering doesn’t want to

Lick it and stab themselves in the tongue,

The others distracted by bowls and beaters.

Rotate the pans halfway through

Because you haven’t got enough things

To keep you occupied,

What with cleaning up the children

And the benched, and the floor,

To a somewhat respectable standard.



Remember to remove cakes from the oven.

This is very important.

Otherwise you end up with two tins

Of solid rock that not even the dog wants,

And the kitchen smells of burnt dreams

For at least the next two days.



Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks.

They say 20 minutes, but it’s usually more.

Sometimes it’s an hour because

Child one has discovered the frosting

And is eating with a spoon under their bed

While the other two cry because they’re not.



Invert the pans to remove the cakes

(hopefully intact and not charred)

Before discarding the parchment paper

Securely enough that the bastard cat

Can’t claw it out of the rubbish

And scatter crumbs throughout the house.



Cool completely on racks, top side up,

Though, by this point, I’m not entirely sure

Which is the top or the bottom of either cake,

And cut off the top of one layer,

Remembering to feed the off cuts

To the remaining seagulls, I mean children.



With a butter knife, frost top of trimmed layer.

Failing to find a butter knife, use any flat item

You may have laying about in the kitchen

Or, as last resort, your garden shed

Because it’s probably easier than finding

A godforsaken butter knife where it should be.



Place the other layer of cake on top

(Assuming you managed to salvage both cakes)

And frost top and sides of the cake

With your butter knife, or trowel,

Until not completely disappointed

With the final result.



The next steps are the most important

So pay careful attention:

Cut two small slices for the children,

Reminding the third that she just consumed

Her body weight in frosting and will be

Violently ill if she even looks at the cake.



Cut a slightly larger slice for your partner

Who conveniently disappeared to the shed

Whilst this whole ordeal was happening

And will be in charge of cleaning up the mess,

But did help you find the trowel

So deserves some reward for that effort.



Take the rest of the cake,

Which should amount to approximately

Three quarters of the original cake,

Along with a healthy dosing of whipped cream

And any ice cream the vultures, I mean children,

Haven’t devoured without your knowledge.



Finally, find a quiet place to reflect

On the fact that you not only survived

But created an edible, and non-lethal,

Meal substitute for yourself

As you consume the entire thing

Without a shred of guilt or remorse.