My River

She’s calm this night

My River.

The Moon’s nestled

Quietly between the rocks

Settled

In these calm waters,

That slip quietly to my runnels

Or Ruin?

Silver Waters

Shimmering, softly, serenely.

Calm now, yet

A Torrent not far

Away

That tumult

Digging at My Footings

Bedrock

To slurry

My foundation to

Marl.

Other times

Accepting this

Onslaught

Facing into the

Torment

Hysterical at this obscene suffering

Enjoying

Flourishing

Smashing my face against Rocks

Ripping one’s skin to

Ribbons

Life’s lacerations

Life’s acceleration

Out of control

Did I conspire with

Fate

Goad on this

Loathing

Or is this foaming

River

My

Affliction

Sins of

Fathers

Laid upon

Their

Son’s

Is that my

Curse?

Oh how you could have saved

Me

And Tomorrow’s

River

Tomorrow?

Confetti rain

He never managed to find

Himself despite searching

In the eyes of a thousand women

Like those hand-in-hand

Paper cut-outs Dolls.

He brought them all perfume

And wild roses wrapped up

In coloured paper

But still he was lost.

He would take them dancing

Swirling them around until

Midnight exploring their every

Twist and twirl always

Searching their fair faces

For the One.

He had a child in almost every

Town with too many of these Dolls-

Too many names to remember

But he never did find him-

Self.

They’ll be no more lifting of skirts

Or moonlight walks home

In that confetti rain

His searching has to be over

And he finds himself still

Very much

Alone.

Sinners

In our wake

The litany

Of our clothes:

We never even

Reached

The Bed.

Our

Sighs and Moans

Spill

Into the shadows

Like

Secrets.

And

It’s not in

Post coital

Clumsiness

Or even in

The

Ridiculousness

Of a twisted sock

In-side-out

Pants.

It’s Afterwards

Back in the

Party

When

Holding

His

Hand

You won’t

Meet

My eyes

That’s when

I

Feel

It:

SINNERS!

To catch a moment

I’ll never paint a masterpiece

In my poetry,

No Rembrandt – Renoir

No Monet – Matisse.

I might paint a nice

Water colour, posted in

Some village hall.

Someone might say

In passing “Oh that’s

Nice.... He caught a

Moment there”

And I’d be chuffed –

Chuffed to bits at that

That catching of a

Moment.

That’s enough –

Enough for

Me.

POST-IT-NOTES

She said it over her shoulder

As I dropped her off

At the Nail Bar…

“Lovvvvvvvve Yoooooooou!

She whispered it to

My

Crumpled head on

My Crumpled Pillow

The morning after the night before…

“I Love You!”

She Sighed it as we

Made Love

Sat over me

Her hair falling into my

Face…

“Oh.. I Love you…. “

She Shouted it

AT ME

During a silly

Fight…

BECAUSE I FUCKING LOVE

YOU!

But the best

The Best:

She was out with the Girls

I’m in with the Telly,

I fetch a Cold Beer from

The Fridge

And on that Beer, A

POST-IT-NOTE

“I love you!”

Silence

I always loved the silence,

That emptiness - a calm

Moment lost down some lonely

Summer’s winding path.

Where the sky quietly slips

Over the slow pointless

Revolving earth - gently

Embracing land and sea.

I always enjoyed the silence

The pause where the Rabbit’s

Ears come up his - eyes

Alert ready for flight

I always marvelled at

The silent Swifts

Hurtling through those

Skies

Dancing together all

Summer long.

I always love the silence of your face

When that look say’s

Everything and nothing

When I can see the rhythm

Of your heartbeat gently

Pulsing in your neck

I love the silence

Of us together

Lying alone in crisp

Cotton sheets

Soft skin just touching

Time standing so still

The silence of life’s

Afternoon.

Think of me.

Get ya’self some

Morrison’s classic Walnut

Ice cream

And think of me!

Think of me when you spoon it

Slowly in your mouth

Your lips closing

Around the spoon

Feeling that cold

Velvety sensation

Think of me!

When you get that

Brandy ‘hit’ slowly

Pull out the spoon giving

It that sensual

Lick

Your lips so full and moist

Your eyes doing a

“Yes – Yes – Yes”

Like in that

Film

Think of me!

Luxuriate in that

Creamy sensation

Lay your legs out

On that Couch lick out

The bowl

Stretch your toes and…

Think of me!