Blog Baby

Don't do it! That's what the voice inside my head is saying. You'd think it'd know by now that I ALWAYS do it.

And so, just because my defiant side always truimphs over my shy side, I'll post a little bit of my writing on here. I'll try not to waffle on, and if I do please be reassured that I usually shut up sooner rather than later.

I wrote some poems as part of my MA that my tutor,Stephanie Norgate (Hidden River, Bloodaxe Books 2007), rather liked. You can blame her for encouraging me to think that I may have a tiny bit of something worth sharing.

Here are a couple of them. You have been warned!

SPILL

I will put a zip in the ocean,
stitch it to each shore
then pull it tight
and watch the cold teeth knit
in a metal bite
that bulges
as each molecule,
translucent,
magnificent,
binds to the next.

I will carry
my bag of blue
sloshing and heavy
in my hands
until I reach the edge
where I will pull it slowly,
slowly apart.

And watch
as, golden in the stream,
a few fat fish
a dolphin and a whale
belly-flop at first.
Flounder, gasping,
then ride the wake.
Flashes of scale and skin
on the page.
Released to space.


FIREBOAT

There's a boat
on top of the forest,
green and drifting
on the leaves.
We light a fire
in its belly
clasp hands
breathe
and watch
as it blazes
red with intense heat.

We break off branches
to fan the flames
that lick
the base of the sail.
Dip the tips into the glow
and dance to the whoosh
of white canvas
that flares high
enough to see.

Then we drop
panting to the ground
as charred linen and ash
rain down.

We're too exhausted
to notice
that we wear
the debris.