Trackless forest Ferns cluster thickly against mossy trees Dim shadow interrupted briefly by shafts of green-gold light Smell of growth, decay, water and soil Life and death in endless cycle Breeze shifts leaves whispering as they dance Small creatures forage Woody litter rustles softly under tiny feet Twitters and chirps sound from the branches flurry…
Sacred spaces
Plastics choking ocean, killing life chemicals poison soil and water like children who won’t clean their room humanity makes the mess bigger deciding it’s all too hard the rich would rather have the money and the rest, who cares what we say while our children wonder how long til we choke on our own rot…
Winter kill
There’s beauty in white The stillness of a silent night A frozen landscape where savage snow Falls gently, spreading wings in a loving embrace Wind-chill murders in quick time While chilly death promises eternal rest Winter wonderland’s glacial show Hides deceptive drowsy warmth Before final sleep
Autumn, in the evening
The lamps are lit Reflecting autumnal gold Up from the sheen of the wet path It’s still raining lightly And I’m glad of my umbrella As I walk under the trees It’s cold, and getting colder And it’ll be good to be home Anticipating warm soup, thick with vegetables Fresh, crusty bread And maybe sweet…
After the storm
When the rain’s stopped pouring out its misery And the wind’s stopped having a tantrum When the black clouds have slouched sulkily away With thunder grumbling in their wake When the sun smiles And the birds, tentative Sing a new song It’s time to start the clean up There’s a hell of a mess Garden’s…
Riddle of the stars
If you go out Night after night And if you get comfortable Settle in for a long stay If you look up At a clear night sky And see the innumerable stars Cool and twinkling in pristine space And if you are very, very patient Could you, do you think Connect all the dots And…
The Edge
Living on the edge Beneath my feet A great lake stretches away Pristine glass To grassy slopes, rising, slowly rising Hills of green and gold And further still the blue and grey Of distant mountains The soft lap of water at my doorstep The slow creak of a boat moored nearby Wind whispers over the…
Heat
Mercury’s climbing. Still a phrase, though No mercury in thermometers anymore Up up up It hits you like a wall Wraps around and smothers You push through the thick, soupy heat Leaching moisture from your body Energy from your limbs Head pounds in protest Body sweats out its life Hottest day on record, they say…
To market
On most Sunday mornings I visit a local farmers market, coming away with fresh fruit and vegetables, herbs, fresh bread, free range eggs, and honey. I tend to come home from these visits feeling rather good about myself, for several reasons. Firstly, it saves money, as the vendors’ prices are nearly always cheaper than the…
Tapestry
When colours reinvent themselves Nature squeezing out shoot, bud, leaf Life turns full circle And the dance begins again Warm breeze carries scent of newness Birds and beasts love and live And bring new life To continue the journey Creation’s tapestry Woven by divine hands
