Black and White Dreaming

30/09/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



Sometimes I dream in black and white,

Stripped of all its colour and its hue,

Just shades of grey and nothing more,

A dull and dreary view.



I see a rose that should be red

But is instead a washed out grey;

I yearn for its vibrancy

But it’s not for me today.



I pass by a field of corn

But no yellow can I see

As if the world has been drained

Of all the colours that there be.



The rainbow is an imitation

Of its brilliant best;

Not even muted tones shine through,

No technicolour vest.



Though they are not permanent,

They still haunt me when I wake;

And I wish to be rid of them

With every breath I take.

Wasting Time

29/09/2020 – Poem a Day Compilation



I stare at the screen

And know I should be working

But my mind wanders –

Still, I should not be shirking.

The Newspaper of Imagination

28/09/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



Imagine a world

Where you could

Open the paper

And see only good news,

With stunning pictures

Of your favourite animal

Or a scenic view.



Imagine the feeling

Of utter exuberance

Turning the pages

And all the stories

About your sports team

Were fair written

By unbiased commentators.



Imagine a day

When any old rag

Reported the weather

And it was accurate

A week in advance,

So you could plan

Outings without worrying.



Imagine the society

That was so reflected

In its media

That politicians knew

They could not lie

And get away with

Scams and scandals.



Imagine a newspaper

With such integrity

That it was revered

By the public

And unceremoniously held

As the prevailing standard

By all other publications.



Imagine not having to

Imagine such a thing.

Insecure

27/09/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



She smiled but she tried to hide it.

It drew attention to her.

Attention she didn’t want.

Attention that made her feel uneasy.



She smiled, but fleetingly,

As if it might draw someone’s eye

And they might see her,

The her she didn’t want people to see.



She smiled though it pained her.

She feared the stares that followed.

They didn’t mean to do it.

They couldn’t help themselves.



She smiled through the awkwardness

Because people only saw the outside,

The scars that were surface deep,

The scars made others uncomfortable.



She smiled despite the insecurity.

It wasn’t those scars that bothered her.

It was the scars on the inside

That people would inevitably see.

The Tech Turnover

26/09/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



Technology comes and goes –

At once heralded as the greatest thing

Then an outdated relic of a forgotten past

All in the blink of an eye.



But sometimes I miss those relics,

Those tangible ties to our own history

And the history of the world around us

That grounds our knowledge.



The one object that holds my heart

Is the old fashioned rotary phone,

With its elaborately handled earpiece

And beautifully ornate cradle and dial.



I don’t even like calling people

But I’d happily admire it as it sat

Proudly atop a plinth delicately carved

As to have pride of place in the hall.

Waking Up in a Strange Room

25/09/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



I threw my feet over the edge of the bed

And felt the cold of the boards on my toes.

I stretched and stood,

Then sat back down again.



It was way too early for me to be awake

And my eyes were still adjusting to the dark.

I stood up once more,

This time finding my feet.



I was not ready for the day ahead of me

And my bleary eyes searched the room.

What was I looking for?

Oh, that’s right – light switch.



The light made me recoil and shade my eyes

Like some kind of spaced out vampire.

I wasn’t even hungry,

It was too early for food.



I opened the suitcase and stared at the contents,

Hoping for a flash of inspiration for what to wear.

Anything would do.

But not that. Or that.



I was sure I’d packed the only comfy bra I owned,

The one where the underwire didn’t dig in,

The straps didn’t slide,

And just hinted at cleavage.



I tossed the whole bag looking for it

Throwing aside the entire wardrobe

Previously ironed

And packed so neatly.



And hadn’t I packed that black top as well,

The one with the gold and bronze squiggly lines

That went with the black skirt

That I also couldn’t see.



Maybe I just needed to have a shower

And perhaps it would wake me up a bit.

So, I grabbed my toiletries

And the provided towel.



The warm water flowed deliciously over me,

And I closed my eyes as the bubbles ran away.

This was heaven;

Worth getting up for.



I wrapped the giant, fluffy towel around me.

It wasn’t like the scratchy ones at home.

Like a big hug

From an old friend.



As I walked out of the bathroom I saw it,

Hanging on the back of the door,

My skirt and top,

And my comfy bra. 

And all was good with the world.

Stuck

24/09/2020 –  Poem a Day Compilation



I am stuck.

I slipped over,

I fell down,

And now I’m stuck.



My toes are jammed.

They cannot move an inch –

Not wriggle or jiggle or squirm –

They are all jammed.



My foot is trapped.

It’s wedged in

Tight as it can go

And I’m definitely trapped.



My ankle is wedged.

It’s unable to be extracted

From this encasement;

It couldn’t be more wedged.



My calf is caught.

Held tight by the vice

That cannot let go,

And it’s certainly very caught.



My knee is pinned.

I cannot bend not straight it

To make loose this grip

That has it well and truly pinned.



My thigh is held.

I must wait

Until help arrives

And my thigh is not held,

My knee is not pinned,

My calf is not caught,

My ankle is not wedged,

My foot is not trapped,

My toes are not jammed

And I am not stuck anymore.