Tuesday 2 August 2011

at home on an early may morning

Aniseedy smell of sea fennel
greets me at the open door.
ducklings huddle,
desecrating flowerbeds,
demanding food.
in the field, the
black and white cat stalks
the hedgerow,
erupting into a flying leap
as a rabbit skitters away.
next door
my neighbour befriends
Destruction
with his gun.

Tuesday 8 February 2011

The Secrets of the School

In the hall
under the eaves
spiders lurk
practising their times tables
They have cracked the 8 times. Pips easy.

In the gym
behind the bars
frogs squat
recovering from
a punishing set of circuits.

In the kitchen
on top of the counters
cockroaches crawl,
scavenging for
sugar grains or forgotten cake.

In the classrooms
next to the noticeboards
worms wriggle,
tunnelling through
paper and posters, stickers and stamps.

In the staffroom
inside the armchairs
mice nestle,
snuggling down for a night
with the newspapers.

In the office,
at the desk,
lizards laze,
neglecting
to answer the telephone.

But in the playground
around the climbing frame
children whoop, whistle
and play
to their hearts' content.

Monday 10 January 2011

Captain, my Captain

Father, my Father
May I know you as a daughter.
Beloved, cherished, affirmed,
special.
Loved.
May I be a loving sister to your children.

Captain, my Captain.
May I acknowledge, respect and obey you
as my leader and authority,
seeking to carry out your wishes,
keeping my eyes fixed on you
as a servant girl looks at her Master.

Spirit, my Spirit
May you be in me and with me
breathing your life
through this earthly body
bringing eternal hope.