Saturday, June 28

Sleeping One


SLEEPING ONE
Just so, gold citrine burns the sky,   
o’er paling lures and gentle sighs.
Sweet one stargazing ‘neath the trees,  
hast thou a dalliance for me?
Until we meet, withhold goodbyes.

Awake not for a subtle cry;
dream on, for verity belies.
Arouse the king, and what may be?
Myth mine or yours? I quail to see.

Endless query, so soft nearby,
some answer’s found in lullabies.
Until we meet, I think of thee;
my slumb’ring lord, obey my plea!
Your cognizance comes by the by.  
Myth mine or yours? I quail to see. 
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zcUykbMGzH4jSkMcePd2xh-1200-80.jpg


Thursday, June 26

Alphabet of Freaks

ALPHABET OF FREAKS
A is Arachna, the Eight-Legged Girl;
B’s Bearded Ladies, fullest in the world.
C’s for Castrati, listen to them sing!
D is Diablo; we call him the thing.
E’s Elephantine, whose trunk can swish;
F’s Fiji Mermaid, part monkey part fish.
G is Gargantuan, the Giant of Cannes;
H is for Harry, the Lion-man.
I’s for Ivan he throws knives, and
J is Juggler Joe – he’s not so good . . .
K is Kraal the wild woman;
L’s Lobster Leo (he’d shake hands if he could).
We’ve made it to the middle of the alphabet,
But don’t you fret; we’re not done yet.
M is for Mable the two-headed cow.
N is for Nellie the two-snouted sow.
O is for Oscar who walks on a wire.
P is for Pyros who jumps through a fire.
Q is for Queenie who plays with snakes.
R is for Rubber-o—what shapes he makes!
S is for Sue / Sam, the Siamese twins;
T’s Tiny Tommy, as small as a pin.
U is for Chow Chow, human unicorn;
V is for Vanya, who swallows swords.
W’s for weird-limbed contortionists;
X is Xerxes, strong man! See his fists?
Y is where you come in, my reader friend.
Z is for Zoo of Freaks! And this is the end.

Wednesday, June 25

The Giants

THE GIANTS
Thing alive, in the wee world you live
Giants above shifting, shoving
Moving rock plates
You, hexagonal thing, you wish
Return to your post, a spent past
Doing new things
Odd, we push to revive what once was
They grind columns, mold vast bridges
Pathways unwind
Huge cretins, neglecting sentiment
Mindful of mortar, defiant
Saga builders
The giants construct without our words
Bury what’s forgotten beneath
Unwonted woe
Ages of sediment, molten mores
Disabused diary entries
Pressed into naught
https://cityofderryjazzfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/causeway.jpg


Sunday, June 22

Familiar



FAMILIAR
Sullen familiar, you sulk at my side
Seething, sighing, eyeing
Soft mouses eeking in their embellished houses.
Shimmering sideways at my half-sleep, sending your spherical spirit
Sallying into the stars.  Always a
Saturnine wing, you mean, cowardly thing.
So dexterously you glide, slide into a stranger’s guise,
Simplify the complicated then stir up the stagnant.
Somnambulous creature, I sneer, yet I fear . . .
Something startling about you—something
Sinister, you minister of ambition.
Still . . . stay, sweet strange familiar.

Friday, June 20

Unlikely Neighbors


UNLIKELY NEIGHBORS
Our hearts taste the same—
Little candy hearts,
Pastel-coloured,
Banished for generations.
It’s not rocket science
To stamp out conversations.
G-rated, sweet standbys
Make their way into people’s hands.
Excuse me for weighing in before I chose!
The sugar-dusted air,
Virtually chalky,
Refurbished my ideas.
This confectionary of century-old machinery
Makes for a haphazard practice.
We stood, side-by-side among giants,
Coin-sized newcomers, stable and true.
Now we’ve hit the South Pole
To trim slogans in red dye,
For little candy hearts
Make unlikely neighbors.