photography

the voice of the county

~

the voice of the county  (  s o m e  o ‘  t h a t  –  y ‘  t w a t  )

…




bakewell tarts & cable cars

corrugated stable barns

field shelters - hills with farms

sheep & ghosts

fleecy yarns


soothing bowels & wershrew howls

dark satanic old mill towns

thermos flasks - tawny owls

bubble bath

snazzy towels


much ado at bussy queues

polished shoes & muddy boots

some dog shit - john is blue

hoppy ales

blurry hues


drystone walls & sore eyed highs

salt earth, landlocked mackrel skies

o.s maps - wheres & whys

je suis x

so say i

...

 

with half an onion in my pocket

~

with half an onion in my pocket  (  a  p o e t r y  o f  a  p o e m  )

…




breezing down the lanes

with half an onion in my pocket

wafting as i go

my shiny stainless steel spokes


gleaming here today

as eyeballs hang on in their sockets

weasels wave hello

& so too do the stoats


bees buzz through my brain

with thoughts of yellow jerseyed comets

dandruff versus snow

those off-beat bicycle notes


trees leave unexplained

as brakes say nay - that pace won't stop it

upward's crawl was slow

but everything since floats

...

 

talkin’ rhubarb

~

talkin’ rhubarb  (  p r e d o m i n a n t l y  p i f f l e  2 0 1 7  )

…



talkin' rhubabrb, stems & stumbles

apples rotten? mustn't crumble

pips & slippage, turns & tumbles

extras, custard, mumbles - jumbles


bloody mondays - ganders flustered

scissored ribbons, colonel mustard

in the vestry with the buzzard

anne of cleves plus mother hubbard


roman nosedives sniffing petals

stinging nettles sing of kettles

dust is swirling - no snow settles

stick to script & wing a medal


trust no pastry or pacemakers

dodge the jam man, buy a paper

start a puzzle, finish later

add some years then meet thy maker

...

an abandoned poem

~

an abandoned poem  (  a  p o e m  )

…



an abandoned poem

no poetry stirs

just letter impressions

where once there were words


perhaps it was madness?

perhaps they're all dead

or fire breathing gypsies

& that's why they fled?


an abandoned poem

no owls here or ghosts

or overgrown ivy

on pillars nor posts


perhaps it was sadness

or wolves prowled along

then feasted all meaning

oh, what here went wrong?


an abandoned poem

with i on my own

the dust here is quiet

i want to go home


so hurry now hurry

leave this place untold

& when you reach safety

then tell not a soul

...

i hope they have solvents in heaven

~

i hope they have solvents in heaven  (  a  p o e m  )

…



oh i hope they have solvents in heaven

real tipex & super-strength glue

the kind where one sniff

sweeps us off in its bliss

oh i hope they do - as do you


oh i hope they have catnip in heaven

& calpol & tixylix-plus

to soften them lulls

as things might get quite dull

oh dear lord, have you thought of us


( ? )


oh i hope they have dossin' in heaven

just fuck all & knockin' around

like daytime t.v

which i love ( secretly )

as well as them saints, shrouds & clouds


& there best be no churches in heaven

if heaven in name's worth its worth

we went through that shite

back when we were alive

to get here - keep that shit on earth


( please )

...

the sheet here

~

the sheet here  (  a  p o e t r y  )

…




forests indoors

& storms in our heads

fields in our straw barns

& gardens in sheds


cobwebs on tongues

& spiders in scrawls

bees not in bonnets

but headscarves & shawls


ants in our pants

our huffs & our rasps

stubbled these palms are

so muddled our grasps


clues say dunno

it's any sod's guess

this is the sheet here

so add your own mess

...

fall into summer

~

fall into summer  (  a  p o e m  )

…




trip on a cowslip & fall into summer

fumble a stumble, part-cartwheel then under


follow proceedings like willow on leather

float like a ghost or a deft thieving feather


glide for a moment - pretend it's a lifetime

as the bellflower clangs so the wild thyme chimes


swift as that swallow or sting from a nettle

cross every digit then settle on petals

...

shoe-be-do

~

shoe-be-do  (  a  c o n t e m p o r a r y  )

…




mind the skies or you'll feel blue

keep half an eye on your shoes

shift a shuffle - shoe-be-do

leaf a rustle, leave no clues


write a letter everyday

as tongues wag & branches sway

as heels squeak & almost say

dearest red, i'm somewhat grey


hide a lemon from the sun

with a crayon draw a gun

observe mad hares on the run

blow your nose for kingdom come


ride a white harpie or six

pick up sticks - swim in the styx

wear no laces lest you slip

eat your greens or you'll feel sick

...