skipping generations
her inherited traits
raise an eyebrow

tinted windows -
through the gap
his fingers wriggle thanks

binding
more than these canes -
knots
by the grandad
I never knew

Salute

I can't seem to lose

my sand filled boots

and my legs want to take me

different routes.

When I finish each day

I'm painfully mute.

It's like I'm wearing an inside-out

cactus suit.

I can't stem the tide

I'm like King Cnut

But I can give MS

a two fingered salute

* * * * * * * * * * *

...Up yours, MS! and have a happy poetry day everyone!

Tulips and roses

My back’s a bit stiff
cos I slept funny.
Spent half the night
worrying 'bout money,
I overcooked my eggs
and I like ‘em runny

but you ain’t bothering me today.
No, you ain’t bothering me today.

My razor’s blunt
and it made me late.
I can’t seem to get
my sideburns straight.
Now every single traffic light
wants me to wait

but you ain’t bothering me today.
No, you ain’t bothering me today.

I have a day full of meetings
when I get to work.
An inbox full of emails
and the office berk. *
Sharing jokes with colleagues
is my only perk.

You ain’t bothering me, it’s safe to say.
No, you ain’t bothering me today.

Though I nearly fall asleep
in front of the telly
and it’s time to push a needle
into my belly,
you won’t get me down today.
Not on your nelly.

You still ain’t bothering me in any way.
No, you ain’t bothering me today.

Though I feel wobbly
and my vision’s screwed.
Though my legs hurt like crazy,
like they’re being chewed
and my nerves, stripped of myelin
are buzzing
crude…

…her smile sets me free
from any bad mood.

So there you go,
now you know,
you ain’t bothering me today.
No way.
Tulips and roses.
Multiple sclerosis.
You ain’t bothering me today

(* non UK: subst berk for jerk)

just when I thought
they hadn't said goodbye
one last swift

library returns
the holiday guidebooks
not quite ready

kangaroo park -
again, the tourist
jumps for her picture

Flood damage...

My current notebook.
I'm hoping my best ideas have been backed up somewhere or are retrievable, at least.

shadow sharp the wave worn wood

humpbacks -
the depths
we float on

approaching storm
even the gate
has lost its squeak

Here's an old one. Originally published in Presence a couple of years ago.

To celebrate summer, before I jet off to a cooler Australian winter.

Coast Path, Purbeck (Summer)

sun
sea
skylark

green
blue
yellowhammer

doubting
my skills as a parent
I set the moth
free
from the greenhouse

Sent from Catch Notes for Android https://catch.com

no traffic
for the moment, a fox
as still as the night

Ed Button RIP

I know you had unimaginable troubles and I'm sorry that I never actually got to meet you in person. I'll miss your encouragement and devilish, often self-deprecating sense of humour. It's a pity that some personal demons are so parasitic in nature and so unavoidable that their only method of removal also necessitates the end of a life.

A sense of doom made me check your Facebook page. In your own words:

.Automated Greeting:

"Sorry, I don't want to talk right now.
"You can leave a message after the tone
and hope that I call you back."

I don't believe in any sort of afterlife, and I'm pretty sure that you didn't either. If there was, by rights you'd be riding your hog along an eternal coast road, the wind in your hair, a vibrant Jupiter straight ahead.

So long, Ed, and thank you for all the positives and for being a friend.

day off...
the cat gifts me
my favourite blackbird

her head
super-glued back on -
Barbie's plastic smile

doorstep canvassing
the fury
of a small dog


doorstep canvassing -
a small dog's
                   fury


(in honour of the forthcoming county council elections)
version 1 = best - see comments

April 2nd
the snow
still lying




...sorry it's late :-)