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.