A very small box

It's the small talk

And I looked at her

That gets you through.

And she looked at me

Those familiar unfamiliarities

And I smiled at her

That say nothing

And she almost smiled at me

Because nothing can be said

And I held her in my arms

That the moment hasn't already said.

And I held her

These are the moments we remember.

And I held

They remain etched

And I held

In our hearts,

And I

Scratching

And I

At our souls.

And

One day they will not hurt.

And

One day

And



And

winter potatoes

They're lying out of sight,
Deep beneath the surface,
Deep in the frozen earth,

waiting.

They can wait.
It might be years,
It might be decades

hidden,

But they're there,
Waiting for the light,
Waiting to be found.

unknown

Until that moment
When they're seen,
When they're recognised,

discovered;

They've always been there.
This moment has come.
This moment has always been

here.

Lessons learned

Clearly I am getting old
If the night seems right for sleeping
And the noises summon annoyance
And no longer jealousy.

Clearly I am getting old
If the day seems right for working
And time lost is wasted
And no longer savoured.

Clearly I am getting old
If first thoughts seem inadequate
And inspiration must be worked
And not dashed off carelessly.

Clearly I am getting old:
Because there is so much to do,
And time is short,
And expectation has given way to hope,

And what I know most is what I do not know.

Half a conversation

Yes, it is.
Yes, you are.
Yes, I am.

No, I am.

Yes, you did.
Yes, you should.
Yes, I would.

No, I'm not.

Yes, we do.
Yes, it is.
Yes I am.

Forget it.

Must we fling this filth at our pet kids?

It's kitten porn
That gets my scorn.
Who do they think
They are?

This cat abusing
Just ain't amusing.
How can they sink
That far?

Those little critters
Have got the jitters
From worrying
All day,

That some weird jerk,
Fresh home from work,
Comes scurrying
Their way.

There's just one sanction
I would action
For those who
With cats play:

Their brains I'd splatter.
But it's a matter
For the
RSPCA.

repeat after me

fall, but don't sleep.
sleep, but don't dream.
dream, but don't think.
think, but don't speak.
speak, but don't lie.
lie, but don't


fall

Retrograde inversion

Everyone's surprised
you don't seem ugly
as assumed
before they encountered you.

Maybe they should have
paid more
attention. Then
perhaps they'd have seen

that the beauty
was there all along,
just waiting
for willing ears.

Limerick

There was a young man from Northampton
Who had strong views about Peter Frampton.
(If this is true or nay
I can't honestly say-
Have you tried finding rhymes for Northampton?)

Parallel Lines

One thing
To gather
Is that
Together
Does not

Or rather,
Need not,
Say, infer
To sing
Together

In fact.
So if ever
I spot
Such blather
Or not

I'll aver
That not
Together
Is not
Forever,


But rather,
A spot
To gather.

Haiku

Rain, from sky through walls,
And possessions overwhelm;
But now there is gin.