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Tuesday, 14 October 2025

The movie maker

From dark, to shadow, to light, to sunshine

From nothing, to doubt, to hope, to certainty


Unveiling of my little story

In less than ten minutes

Though by the summer

It could be half an hour


From a muddle, to a mess, to an idea, to fruition

From grey, to black, to blue, to deepest sunset red


I recall the circle

The hero, the villain

The defining moment

And a good number of tests


From autumn, to winter, to spring, to summer

From gold, to white, to green, to heavenly skies of blue


Write about what you know

Remember the words of Yevtushenko

A poet's autobiography is his poetry

Anything else is just a footnote



Monday, 13 October 2025

It affects everyone you know

We, we had advance warning

Time to press the tuxedo, to chill the martini

Undress the olives, prepare; be ready

To celebrate our winning of the war


The balcony is art deco, as is the radio

And also the gramophone player

We talked, we kissed, we danced, we listened

Gaily to the momentous news from the front


For the fiftieth anniversary

We put the house on the market; we included

All of our belongings and the photographs

Lest we should forget to remember


The swimming pool had its own room

To change in, or to take a telephone call

Perhaps there had been a butler

Or a handyman, or a maid in a pinafore


You cope with all the ups and downs

Of this terrible war; endlessly you question

How could you help, how on earth

Could you make a contribution


And so to the night of the party

To lift everyone's spirits; perhaps you

Will read a poem in your soft thoughtful voice

Wilfred Owen perhaps, or one of his dead mates



Sunday, 12 October 2025

Looking out for each other

Half an Aspirin

If that’s all it takes

To steady the tear

In your eye


I will ask the doctor

For sure I, neither, wish

For anything to happen

At a stroke


Leaving me or you

Without the hope of a pen

Or the laughter

Of again making love



Saturday, 11 October 2025

Fridays on my mind

Halfway through the morning, did I forget to take the tablets? An inventive infusion, rush of blood, unsteady hands in fuzzy hair. Take a cup of coffee, settle, wait for the caffeine to take hold. Sit, in the chair by the fire, read your book: The memoirs of Cocteau.

Of course these are also your thoughts, they are universal ok. He wrote them down, and sat over coffee, with Marcel Proust to consider their merits, before publication; they are though your thoughts, your own unsteady movements captured therein

Time now to return to the task; the letter, the video, the application of the facial mask. Step up from the armchair, to the leather covered, five wheeled, industrial office chair. Then together, press the keys ctrl, alt, delete.



Friday, 10 October 2025

Wait, you may not…

If you would just listen

Or hear

Not just that, which you want

To hear


Or leave the condescending voice

Behind

Instead to care; what is on

My mind


It's hard enough anyway without your

Flippant laugh

If only once to be serious, not so

Naff


I did not mean to hurt, why

Would I

That’s not where I'm coming from, but

Should I


If you want to lose your way

Again

Or stand outside in falling

Rain


That's ok, really, it is almost

Kind

Just let yours be the love

Which I find