So you may have noticed I have decided to look back through my old books and pick a favourite poem. One I don't usually read. In Raining Upwards I wanted to explore my relationship with nature. There are poems inspired by my garden, the countryside and the sea. This is one inspired around this time of year by the South West Coast of Portugal.
WHO WASN'T OUT TO SEA DIDN'T PRAY TO GOD
There is enough water here to drown every soul on Earth
We sit and watch white lines
break upon black slate
Trees and shrubs I can't name
claw at slopes whose classifications I can't pronounce
The whole facia falls bent and crumpled
like a broken roller coaster rail
These veterans
a wall planner of existence
Humanity huddles at the inlets
Though we don't say as much
we share a cathedral sky with the distant clouds
the abandoned buildings
the quiet fisherman
the Easter sun
and the loneliness at the end of the ocean ... See MoreSee Less
Photo
This is a poem from my younger days amongst the unloved. It's easy to forget as you get older and find someone how desperate you could feel at times.
ONLY CHRISTMAS AND BIRTHDAYS BRING DEATH THIS CLOSE
Overnight you have grown old
and though spite is no spur to succeed
in the absence of caress it can suffice
Only yesterday
with hair dye and vitamins
you boasted you had cheated time
but now it is the last dance of the party and
the prospect of a taxi home alone
rises like a flush within your cheeks
Years you wasted
slip through the doorway
giggling together adolescent
clear skin and eyes so bright
and always with partners that look such fools
but young
It is not them you hate but their youth
There is no individuality in this attraction merely the
aesthetics of innocence
and you, clinging to that one chance
force yourself into the night air before
the indignity of being the last to leave
I have seen you in the morning
lost in some mundane task
unaware of my presence
There is a subtlety of emotion that wisps around your eyes
You hesitate behind each door
What worries you most is the loss of appetite
Where once you were so sure,
diplomatic farewells have beaten back your pride
Where once you were curious,
the nakedness of longing has sought to scar your faith
breathe still
no whim of nature will chill your soul tonight
there are traditions that carry the truth of seasons
there are books that will outlast technology
we are old friends you and I
rest your fears against these words
it'll be alright
it will be alright. ... See MoreSee Less
Photo
This is a list poem I wrote to my wife Angela trying to explain what makes life worth living for me. You can write your own list if you feel inspired.
STARING DIRECTLY AT THE ECLIPSE
Your feet on my lap
as we settle for the night
A shoreline to ourselves
Sunlight on water
Nature catching the eye unexpected
Fresh air intoxicating
Getting lost in art or endeavour
Music that carries and caresses
Food presented as a gift
Being surprised by genius or kindness
Your face flush and immediate
A friendly soul at my window
Hope in all forms however tiny
The comforting mundanity of doing nothing much
The absence of pain and fear
however fleeting
A familiar arm around my shoulder
The satisfaction of something done well
Loyalty and honour embraced
Minor revelations of perception
The defiance within spirit against overwhelming odds
Valour and grace in the face of the inevitable
To spite death
and make his victory hollow ... See MoreSee Less
Photo
Sheer BeautyLemn recites his poem to camera. filmed by Elspeth Moore ... See MoreSee Less
Video
