And in her arms a baby

bright as a daffodil.

Rays of light

emanate

from this child.

He remembers a game -

“do you like butter?”

and thinks he sees

a golden glow reflected

on his young wife’s throat…

Pollen-headed

the baby has

a smile that gleams

audacious as the sun!

Holdmefeedmeloveme

undeniable demands

as a full breast is nuzzled

...

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the water is cold

as I dip my hand

silver-eyed -

a minnow

approaches

my fingers open

my hand

is a cup

the minnow

visits

the minnow

means

everything

to me

magic and fleeting

a mercury being

the whole world

echoing

within

his scales

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Daffodils on my table

stand in a coffee pot.

The pot is cream and gold and green,

so pretty, I use it as a vase.

The daffodils on my table

never bloomed.

But they are dying.

Maybe it’s too warm.

I bought them from a roadside pail.

They stood proud, gold and green;

full of promises suppressed.

Now, fat buds are soft,

rottin...

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She has an Ingres back

She is a violin

And when she’s in his arms

She sweetly plays for him

She doesn’t know the words

He doesn’t know the tune

There’s a duet of sorts

In that sweet dark bedroom

His fingerwork is good

Her mouth is soft and warm

While she is in his arms

They will not come to harm

Her voice is like a lute

And y...

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The rain snaps

on the window pane

like sticks.

Sleeping

a young man’s sleep -

he’s gone

head back

neck curved

a swan.

Breathe even

breathe deep

dream on

dream sweet.

I don’t sleep

lie thinking

I’ll not pass

this way

again as

dawn breaks

with rain.

Next night

alone

I fe...

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Smile sits, content

a dove upon a nest

settles down

for morning snooze

in arms, not meant.

In arms not meant

smile stretches

like a cat

in warmth

and harmony

content.

Smile knows

no matter

that it is not meant

for pleasure grows

and echoes

in another smile

another smile

content.

With warmth of ...

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It was on Monday that I first saw the unicorn in my garden.

I noticed that he had to eat leaves from the trees.

If he bent his head to the grass his spiral horn would stick in the ground.

I started to feel sorry for the unicorn. He seemed lonely.

I realised I was in love with the unicorn.

He was so beautiful.

The unicorn and I talked for the first time.

He was ...

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If love is a tree

It is a tree in winter.

No lush romantic blur of green

To hide behind.

When spring gales blow

The branch will break.

The lightness of the naked winter bough

Springs back in gusty January days.

Nothing is hidden

From the heart or eye

As we stand firm against the chill.

Beautiful in snow.

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Another kiss you’ll never have

you used to say to me.

When I was busy,

feeling tired,

and I would turn away.

If I had known how few

those kisses were to be

I would have spared the time

to give those kisses free.

So now I send those kisses back

ten thousand fold to thee

yes now I send those kisses back.

Wherever you may be...

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I’m glad the steam rally won’t be here again.

I can ride past on the 85 with no reminder.

Nothing to make me dwell on those three days each year

When you were so engrossed – in steam!

Although we had the ancient taxi – off  the plate -

You had to go there on your bike - I bussed it.

It seemed so romantic, meeting up

as you removed your cycle clips

while I f...

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Mouth dry as an Egyptian coffin

I lie, a heap of ashes in your arms

Young passion is so wet and green

in age it darkens into smoke and bone

Smoulder up to death’s dark curtain darling

Dust to dust you always will be mine

My heart, a fire pit of braziers burning

Who knows when it is for the final time?

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Too frail for a flannel now

she stands beneath a peal of rain.

Her daughter wields the watering can.

The water has to be just right -

elbow-measured. In this way

the tables turn, mother becomes child.

There’s a delicacy, feeling safe,

now privacy has gone. She’d thought

that seeing mother naked

would be wrong.

But, carers are dis...

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Communication of the deepest kind

across the depths of undulating oceans.

Marconi knew.

He wanted words to spread.

Isthmuses and continents are linked.

Communication.

I didn’t understand until we met

at Poldhu Cove and visited the monument,

our pilgrimage.

With your usual grace, you touched the panel.

Fingertip to bronze,

communicat...

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The king and queen are out today

Rip-roaring over edges

Making bulletpoints.

He takes her by the hand

“Fly with me – our eggs can last awhile

In your sweet absence!”

No dove's-tales for them.

Passion hard as arrows - 

Flight an ecstasy, a ballet

As together they worship freedom.

Settling amongst a spangle of flowers

He feeds h...

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The woman who smelled of mouse

All blousey in her felt hat

Was in love with the man with the stubbly neck

Who lived with the flea bitten cat.

He admired her red-dyed hair

And her eye liner all skewiff

You could tell that he was enamoured of her

When he started boasting a quiff.

One day I saw him on the bus

Perusing the Argos mag

...

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Grey hair with a kingfisher stripe

Fills me with hope

No longer knowing who to be

I see her, an elderly

Jean Shrimpton from another age

Good bone structure she was all the rage

Grey hair with a kingfisher stripe

Grey hair with a kingfisher stripe

Elderly partner in his leather cap

A dithering almost lost it chap

Can’t make the stairs to the co...

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I saw the ragged crow

hover over gravestones

a twig almost a branch

clasped in his crusty beak

an offering to his raucous mate

a promise of love and nestbuilding

for in his beady little eye she –

the epitome of beauty shines

while he in handsomeness to her appears

a nonpareil.

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Mum, I’d like to come and

sit in your kitchen at the formica table

drink coffee, eat chocolate biscuits

in the warm

I’ve so much to tell you

we’d laugh about everything

forget me knots in the garden

the apple tree would be in blossom

Dad, I’d like to visit you today

see what you’ve been up to

we’d go to your workshop

I’d sit on your paint...

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come live with me

in a chocolate house

with a chocolate cat

and a chocolate mouse

there’s a chocolate garden

and a chocolate path

we’ll drink hot chocolate in our chocolate bath

the roof will be made of Toblerone

the windows made from lollypops

we’ll have a Milky Bar telephone

and a chocolate trolley to take to the shops

we’ll have After Eigh...

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