#239

Winter’s arrival,

Bitter and frosty mornings:

The sun shining through.

#238

Cemetery mist,

First of the season, hovers.

Eerie addition.

#237

Tender, yet tender

Is not how I would describe

How it was started.

#236

That fills me with chills,

Forgotten memories flood.

An online trigger.

#235

Dutch barn on fire,

Me lying asleep inside.

Metaphor of what?

#234

Everything passes,

Nothing ever seems to stop.

Onward trudge of time.

#233

Lonely at the top,

Friends long ago put aside.

Regret sits heavy.

#232

Once so full of pride,

So boastful when he returned.

Scattered to the winds.

#231

Short-lived golden crowns

Lie scattered across the lawn.

Autumnal buzz cut.

#230

Fallen leaves glitter

In the dawn light they dazzle.

The first autumn frost.

#229

Brief tree monarchy,

Coloured garlands make them flock.

Cherry blossom time.

#228

As the days grow short,

Sunshine amongst dull colours,

Autumn transitions.

#227

Autumn’s transition 

From hot to cold, life to death.

Nature’s renewal.

#226

The tree’s new palette

Paints the world gold through auburn.

Autumn’s blossoming.

#225

Ambulance outside

The old folks’ home that’s nearby.

Always think the worst.

#224

Leaves starting to fall,

Green grass starting to muddy,

All colours changing.

#7

The world before this,

The time before anything,

This place before then.

Far removed from the people

We were when the tower stood. 

#223

Sit up here and view

This world in the time before.

Supreme ignorance.

#222

Cold and wintry morn,

Colour against the white snow,

Smile upon my face.

#221

The shadow of death

Passing across his dear face.

Is this his gloaming?

#220

Nearly eerie light,

The passing of the baton.

This is the gloaming.

#219

The Northern Spirits

Animate the skies with light

Winter nights draw in.

#218

Nearly eerie light,

An arch between day and night:

The lunar rainbow.

#217

I know this feeling,

The way the air fills my lungs.

Rugby, each first term.

#216

Snoozy afternoon,

Late summer sun dipping down.

Boy unaffected.

#215

First Autumn rain day,

Constant drizzle soaks your soul.

Single colour sky.

#214

Return of grey days

I was going to write on.

Then the sun came out.

#213

Swiftly my blood flows,

As the stream past our house goes,

When you touch my hand.

#212

Gently my blood flows,

As the brook past our house goes,

When you are here too. 

#211

Sun through the window

Heats my feet, glows my toes and

Gently, my blood flows.

#210

Sun through the window,

Nearly touches an old toy.

Miss him every day.

#209

Sun through the window,

Warms toy he abandoned.

Miss him when he’s gone.

#208

The weeds hide the crime,

Parting for you, drawing back,

Forever silent.

#207

Petals on water

Widen out then draw back in,

Keep her secret safe. 

#206

Quietly call down

Toward the towns and cities.

Song of the small road.

#205

Petals on water

Part willingly to aid you

Hide your sisters' crime.

#204

Humans, make amends.

Surprise us all, make amends.

Put everything right.

#203

If my soul is in

Prison, should I set it free?

De Morgan questions.

#202

Meeting monster comes,

Draws over your attention - 

FOOL!  Pay Attention!

#201

At Carlisle I

Looked a Jackdaw in the eye

And began rebirth.

#200

Jays will talk, listen,

Investigate, adapt, will

Bring you courage, too.

---

#198-#200 were inspired by an Instagram post by Kae Tempest, in which they announced a change to using gender neutral pronouns and their name, from Kate to Kae.  In particular, for me, the meanings of their new name, and learning about Jackdaw and Jay folklore struck a chord and got me writing (this will continue in #201, and possibly elsewhere).  Apologies, though, for just editing down your words in places.  

#199

Jackdaw brings you death.

Also rebirth in the rain.

Rejoice and be glad.

---

#198-#200 were inspired by an Instagram post by Kae Tempest, in which they announced a change to using gender neutral pronouns and their name, from Kate to Kae.  In particular, for me, the meanings of their new name, and learning about Jackdaw and Jay folklore struck a chord and got me writing (this will continue in #201, and possibly elsewhere).  Apologies, though, for just editing down your words in places.  

#198

Losing a letter

Can add meaning and beauty,

Can bring forth your self.

---

#198-#200 were inspired by an Instagram post by Kae Tempest, in which they announced a change to using gender neutral pronouns and their name, from Kate to Kae.  In particular, for me, the meanings of their new name, and learning about Jackdaw and Jay folklore struck a chord and got me writing (this will continue in #201, and possibly elsewhere).  Apologies, though, for just editing down your words in places.  

#197

Clutching a dried white 

Rose, I defy him and live

An eternal spring.

#196

How he must laugh so -

His lies beget his voters.

‘Merican cockroach.

#195

Nice, calming haiku:

White clouds across blue sky,

Lie on trampoline.

#194

Dinosaur haiku:

It’s already gone wrong, right?

“Look out!  Meteor!”

#193 (and #6)

I am old, I feel.
Ev'ry winter increases
The ache in my bones.

I am old, I know.
Unwittingly living in
A world gone away.

I am old, I see.
With dimming eyes I can glimpse
The decay of age.


I am young I dream;
Of halcyon springtime days,
Flowers soon to bloom.

I wake to old age
And adapt to it each day
Slowly as a snail.

I am old, it’s fine.
I may groan, even bemoan
Yet I relax; cloud. 

For

I am old.  I am.
Time only marches forward,
Flows as a river:
We can’t renew like seasons,
But wait to float out to sea.

And

When I am lucid
It has its advantages.
I hover over,
Journey through my memory,
Cast experience shadows.

#192

A rotting apple

In a glass case, my mind dies

Slowly in my skull.

#191

Wake and whisper to

The night, "Come take my bad dream."

Baku always there.

#190

Tiger claws resting

On my shoulders, it's trunk sucks

Out every bad dream.

#189

Sad-looking Baku,

In the moonlight come and eat

From my darkest places.

#188

Baku, called to help,

Stayed to devour all hope

And goodness within.

#187

Dispatch to my love:

I miss even your smelly

Farts when we’re apart.

#186

Dispatch to my love:

As spring does summer become,

Be my first swallow.

#185

Dispatch to my love:

Meet me as the moon rises.

Stay until it sinks.

#184

Dispatch to my love:

As spring does summer become,

Migrate back to me.

#183

Dispatch to my love:

Meet me under the moon’s glow,

Beneath your window.

#182

Dead pig in the tree,

Half awake dreams too lucid,

Dripping blood too real.

#181

Lingering in air,

Little doses everywhere,

Invisible clouds.

#180

We tell the women.

It goes as we expected.

And then we leave them.

#179

You sweet, funny, bear,

Dancing in your underwear.

Live away from cares.

#5

Play-Doh transports me,

Reminds me of happy days

Of little models.

I had forgotten, though, the

Mixed colours and dried-up rot.

#178

Play-Doh smell on hands, 

On laptop as well, I’m sure.

Working from table.

#177

Think to past, future,

Possibilities for us.

Play-Doh smell on hands.

#176

You should never meet her -

The one they call the Truth Speaker.

Her words will bind you.

#175

Find me in a daze,

Drunk on the look in your eyes.

Meet for the first time.

#174

The Dark Warrior

Will come to us, in all, thrice.

Will take over twice.

#173

#StayHome #WithMe #Please

#DontGoOut #TooDangerous

#ItsSafe #InMyArms

#172

We palpate all night,

Explore layer by layer,

Until ‘neath covers.

#171

I don't know because

I am not you, and so I,

I want to know you.

#170

streaks down the window

visions of the outside blurred

another rainday

#169

Blinds down, day in bed,

Naked, taking advantage

Of the company.

#168

Acute pain gives way

To the sweet release of blood.

A vampire’s kiss.

#167

Sun bursts through my heart,

Body turns to dust, crumbles.

A vampire's death.

#166

Sun bursts through my heart,

Happy tears fall from my eyes,

When my music plays.

#165

Describe the day how? The first day of daffodils, Yellow lightens grey.

#164

Hidden in plain sight.

In a football crowd I know 

I belong, am one.

#163

Hidden in plain sight.

Misfiled knowingly in 

Dewey Decimal.

#162

Each told their parents

They were there to do homework.

Date in the libr'ry.

#161

Rolling stacks do move.

Not always predictable.

Haunted lib’ry store.

#160

Posh-looking Lenin,

Living not far from before.

In the lib’ry store.

#159

Hidden only in

Their physical form, I fetch

From the libr'ry store.

#158

Where did they all go?

How did we filter away?

Thinking of schoolmates.

---

(Middlemarch in hand)

#157

Strug’ling toward per-
-f-
-ection with the dudes from the
Transcendental Club.

#156

Forgotten but not

Gone I seek validation.

Advertising schtick.

#155

Just one moment held

In the centre of your palm

Precious as a pearl

#154

That one moment held

In awe and wonder for years

Meant nothing to them

#153

That one moment held In awe and wonder for years Just coincidence

#152

that one moment held

in opposition against

bitter anger holds

#151

I hate this *breathe* room

The floor is lined with my guts

It stinks of my rot

#150

Light replaces dark

When visiting Our Lady,

She shows me the way.

#149

Peace reigns inside me

When visiting Our Lady,

She takes my conflict.

#148

Light reigns inside me

When visiting Our Lady,

She out takes the dark.

#147

A strange fulfillment

When visiting Our Lady,

Bathed in her light.

#146

Sleepwalk to my death

This makes my mind so fuzzy

That I cannot see

#145

I'm invisible

I don't matter to them now

My use has been spent

#144

i am here you know

i may have separated

off but i am here

#143

Allow everyone 

Close enough to kill you: The

Way of the dodo.

#142

All of the tangents,

All the asides in the world.

In the staff meeting.

#141

When it gets going,

Turns out we really question.

In the staff meeting.

#140

Thrown out to the floor,

It becomes a yawning void.

In the staff meeting.

#139

Leaking palms leaving

Pools all over the table.

In the staff meeting.

#138

Sat in a square shape,

Listening for our tidbits.

In the staff meeting.

#137

Susan Sorcery:

A misread name that would be

Much better surely.

#136

We all stay at home,

Breaking contact chains to fight

Coronavirus.

#135

I ripped off my face -

It gave far too much away.

Now there is no sense.

#134

An active bandstand

Can be an eventful place.

Comings and goings.

#133

The start and end of

An awkward fumbling embrace.

In the park bandstand.

#132

The start and end of

Our teenage intimacies.

In the park bandstand.

#131

We all stay at home,

Breaking contact chains to fight

Coronavirus.

#130

Two metres apart,

Every person brings distress.

Coronavirus.

#129

I met my shadow;

We spoke about days gone by.

Coronavirus.

---

Idea came via a colleague via a Union Chapel Newsletter which included a poem by Kitty O'Meara - not Kathleen O'Meara

#128

Bandstand time travel.

The right passage of notes and

Play anywhere-time.

#127

A smooth rich flow or

Filled throughout with sweet honey.

Imagine either.

#126

Grey sky, concrete, asphalt,

Muddy grass, sepia tones.

Some days are just grim.

#125

I fell right through time,

To the other side of me.

I knew so much then.

#124

I cannot ask for,

I’ve never had the questions.

How dark the cave is!

#123

I’m a beautiful,

One of many chosen few.

My bag tells me so.

#122

Wrap me in a hug

Of strings warming my cold heart.

How to disappear.

#4

I'm invisible,

I cannot be seen at all,

I am safe from them,

He thinks, trem’bling in bushes,

As the stalkee sees leaves move.

#3

A dire omen

Of natural destruction

Laid before me bare.

Along the river, dead: fish,

Trees, even mud, with blank stares.

#121

Parakeets or rain,

Changing seasons and people.

Town so exotic.

#120

Parakeets or rain,

Changing seasons and people:

Mindfulness achieved.

#119

Parakeets or rain,

Changing seasons and people:

Our square eternal.

#118 (Overlooking the Square)

Parakeets or rain,

Changing seasons and people:

Always holding hands. 

#117

Always holding hands,

Together or apart,

Inseparable.

#116

Quick quick Break break, Take

A moment to breath and see

The bigger picture.

#115

How does a spirit

(Attendant) become evil?

Daemon without ‘a’.

#114

I cannot sit still,

Leg muscles aching to stretch.

Would I were a plant.

#113

Oh to have a ball

Of crystal that could tell us.

Coronavirus.

#112

Sit in a chair then -

Watch the world walk past Your Self,

Shaped by your bubble.

#111

I am no one I

Am nowhere, I don’t exist

Are unseen trees still? 

#110

If my name makes me, 

Then I am a grasshopper

Eating the finest.

#109

Grasshopper, grass hop -

All day, hop grass, grasshopper, 

For you were named so.

#108

I blind my own eyes,

Turn away forevermore,

Live life in a cave,


Watch only shadows -

For I can look no longer

Upon our shambles.

#107

I bind my own eyes,

Let events beyond unfold.


It can’t be my fault.

#106

“A stain on my life,

mistake made in an instant.”

“Please don’t let it spread.”

#105

Sempiternally

Doomed to the corner of life:

A dark stagnant pond.

#104

Haiku are bleeding 

Out of me today, I feel

Porous as a sponge.