Half-a-dozen, a wildcard plus one

A few recent poems have orbited around summer. 29°C captures some moments from the July heatwave. Another Summer’s Day explores more delights of the warmer season. Summer food and outdoor eating, which we enjoy at such times with childlike relish, are enacted by the child characters who feature in Packed Lunches and Summermelon. Tightly Sealed and Look At draw on observations of ordinary

Recycled

In the window is from Senegal, and beautifully put together: the bird. The artist, with the help of sticks and other flotsam, beautifully put together the bird. The artist has been washed ashore with other birds beautifully put together with the help of sticks. They make beautifully put together birds from the window, these sticks

29°C

toes ran free from socks shins bared their flanks shoulders undressed their cheeks to receive warmth’s kisses Swans passed on their water-fed passage. Yes, nodded heads in the flowerbeds, this is summer sunshine in Regent’s Park. 13 – 14 July, 2013 — Enjoy the blissful summer weather, if you’re circa London-towne. Drink water; wear a

Two Summer Poems: one about fruit, the other about birds

Pakistan’s Gold, a poem about a mango’s journey, explores the relay of fruit exports that brings the taste of summer from one place to the ingesting of summer in another. Twenty Auspicious Cranes, presents very plainly two experiences of coincidence, captured and formulated as wonders and then taken for signs.

Twenty Auspicious Cranes

Twenty Auspicious Cranes, 1112 On the day after my birthday, 2013 The Emperor Huizong opened his palace to the ever-busy common folk. I sat on my bedroom floor. Twenty white cranes appeared flying in the sky; two alighted upon the palace gate. A brown-winged bird darted into my room; there he hovered, over my bed.

String

For one day my heart was a rogue balloon which found refuge in that tree across the meadow-hill where squirrels handle acorns and the wood pigeons built their nest. — If you enjoyed the above poem, have a glance at my recently published first volume Shining in Brightness, which is available via blurb.co.uk. You can also follow me