Donations are essential to keep Write Out Loud going    

Popular last 30 days

love poetry life War nature beauty poet poem poems writer

Popular last 12 months

love poetry life poem nature war death poet loss pain

Graham Clifford (Remove filter)

The Rules

Do not describe the sunset, regardless. Never
write about the buttery moonrise,
especially near the beginning: everyone
just switches off, and if they don’t
they should.

Do not mention war; any of the many.
Those possibilities are nothing to do with me.
They belong to others, to a family friend
who knows mountainsides blooming
great mushrooms of dust.

Everyone has had enough of trees...

Read and leave comments (2)

Poetrycontemporary poetryGraham Cliffordwriting

The Hitting Game

The Hitting Game

 

 

On the island’s south side

a solitary town fizzes

like overloaded circuitry

on dark, motherboard hills.

 

Across a sticky, smooth-tiled walkway

an amusement arcade spills

a test of sexiness based on how clammy your palm is

and the hitting game.

 

You spin in coins so they register

on sensors worn numb. 

A padded st...

Read and leave comments (2)

Graham Cliffordpoetryholidaygamearcade

In Cars

In cars, I'm him.
I make the shapes he makes –
one-handing the steering wheel
as if grasping some mane,
I cup the gear stick bulb
like it's a brandy bowl
and coast to junctions
clutch disengaged
scared as sharks to stop,
though on open road
I’ll box in better cars than mine,
a sudden stickler for the limit
I slap down and squeeze your knee
celebrating damming flow,
c...

Read and leave comments (1)

graham cliffordwww.grahamclifford.co.ukpoetrycontemporary poetrygenderhistorySwindon

On the dispersal of water

 

It’s 1:30 am.

He takes me away from the others unpacking,

opens the front door to the first night

in our first home and squirts WD-40

over both hinges, explains

WD is water dispersal,

NASA concocted this stuff

to keep fields of rockets

from turning orange, then burnt umber.

He heard this on his pocket radio

cycling along blustery North London roads

...

Read and leave comments (4)

Graham Cliffordpoempoetrycontemporaryartcreative writingreactionphilosophybritish poetry

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

Find out more Hide this message