Two Faces

The child looks up, what does she see Will a face smile down with love and kindness Hands outstretched, warm and welcoming Tenderness and sweetness oozing from every pore Or will it be a snarling grimace, red with fury Fists raised and clenched ready for violence Snapping teeth and rending claws, the air thick with…

Christmas Ingredients

Christmas is many things to many people God in a manger and angel choirs Santa Claus is coming to town Food, and booze, and parties, and presents Even loneliness and grief, missing those who have passed What’s it to me Decorating a tree Wreath on the door Crib on the shelf Carved wooden angel hung…

Haikus for My Girl

Striped fur soft and warm Green eyes glow with inner fire Happy purrs give life Nonchalant she sits Pristine paws arranged just so Waiting for service Thirteen years my friend Old girl sleeping safe and close Love given freely

A Mother’s Love You Never Knew

When you are young this is how it is You love your mum and she loves you On the whole, I guess that’s true But sometimes as you grow You look again, and know You grieve a mother’s love you never knew Approval was conditional Affection waxing and waning with every changeable mood And if…

Sidereal

I see you shine like a beaconYour sidereal soul warms like the cosiest fireYou float, ethereal, the centre of my worldThe sun around which I orbitYou fill the lacuna of meUntil I want for nothing moreAt last I am complete in you

Angels Unaware

Sent from heaven in disguise Who would suspect there are angels among us In our homes and in our hearts They teach us in simplicity Of love, of faith, of loyalty They give us all this freely Without condition or limit How can we do less But adore the angels in our lives Nurture and…

Christmas Is

When you were six Christmas was a barbie doll and clothes for her to wear She would go on to join the doll family and have adventures When you were sixteen The clothes were for you And adventures were only in your dreams When you were twenty-six Christmas was a minefield of family drama While…

Do We Have a Future

Don’t be ambiguous, please don’t lie All I want is truth It’s so hard to understand you And, you see, I am so very tired I have no energy to sift your words To read between your carefully considered lines Is what you say true? What do you mean? Just tell me, plain, spell it…

In the Eye of the Storm

It is uncommon valour When two should strike a tryst Under a dry sky Clear blue and shining sun Where anyone can see It is rare courage To walk hand in hand Through the empty silence of crowded streets Running the gauntlet Of burning, hate-filled eyes It is a precious jewel To love in the…

Your Last Christmas

It is hard, after everything To put the pain and frustration of years aside To tread softly and speak gently Because it could be your last Christmas It is hard to trust The evidence of my eyes You have lied so often Feigned illness or incapacity But you can barely hear You struggle to comprehend…