October

October is coming soon

Perhaps we will carve 

Pumpkin heads

Make angels out of fallen leaves

We like it as the air grows cooler

And the winds make our feet quicken

And when it gets dark

She squeals

Remember when the bat flew in

Its silken black body 

And outstretched wings

It barely made a sound she says

I did not think it was real

Not until it flew

Then I turned on the lights

Opened the windows

Ushered it back into

The velvety night

It would be nice to tend a fire

To hear the wood crackle

See the flames rise and fall

Orange

The perfect colour for October

The peach glazed sun in the sky

The white clouds

Crisp blue skies

We sit and watch the light fade

Content

Closed inside

Happy within ourselves 

As if we are wrapped

In the finest blankets

We are glad

October is coming soon. 

Passing

We strain honey in the fading light 

It flows thick and heavy

Like tar

Soon darkness will fall upon us

Close around our shoulders

Like a warm coat

Alice never had a coat

I think

Do you get cold

I ask 

She shrugs

Perhaps she is always too busy 

To feel the weather

Or too young

We are lost in the moment

Hands moving as one

Fingers sticky

Faces dreamy

It is a precious rhythm 

One we cannot break 

It feels like

A passing mystery 

We both think of toast

The honey sinking into the warm grains

A hot cup of tea

Our tummies full

Just before sleep

Soon it is too dark to see the molten yellow

We wipe our fingers

Carry our treasure to the table

Quite magical 

She says

In passing.

Backbone

My little backbone sits 

On the top shelf

From down here

Her legs look as frail as matchsticks

As if she would snap 

When jumping down

But she is strong

And has experience in jumping

Maybe that is why she likes to climb

She hears me thinking

I like to be close to the stars

She says

In a clear, strong voice

How grown up she sounds

As if she has become something more

I wonder if I am more too

I am not sure if she was meant to stay forever

Helping me

Supporting me through

Dark and light

Now the skies are brighter

I worry that she will leave

Never 

Silly

She squeals

Hopping down

With a graceful thud

Nimble as a cat

Beautiful as a feather

She grasps my hands

And spins me round

We dance for a while as the night 

Grows thicker

I take a deep breath

Relieved that she will stay with me

Keep the sun shining

And the tea hot and sweet

We fall down tired

Her head next to mine

I suppose we have both survived

Many jumps

Perhaps they glued us together

Fused her bones with mine

Together we are as tough as metal

Though our souls are gentle as flowers. 

September

Alice wraps her shawl 

Around her shoulders 

The waves roar 

The sky is rumpled 

The blackbirds line up 

On the gate 

Their wings wave in the breeze 

Like a greeting 

She exclaims 

Moving her arms as if 

To conduct their song 

I like it when she wears a smile 

Today we planted seeds 

Plunged them deep into 

Rusty soil 

I expect it will be a sparse crop 

September bears a tiny sun 

A small display of rain 

But when it is gone we miss it 

We huddle together and run 

Closing the door behind us 

Rubbing our feet and hands 

Ready for a feast of jam and tea 

And a sleep full of dreams

And wishes.

Legacy

How would you like to be remembered
Asks Alice
I do not think I will be
Little cricket
I am not the same as you
You are special
Preserved in words
For everyone to treasure
But you make words too
She says
Straightening her dress
It is different
You are a story
I am fragments
Tiny blades of glass
Stuck together
To form letters
Perhaps you are a shorter story
I look at her eyes
So keen to please
Shiny as polished moons
Perhaps so
It is hard to disappoint her
The sun is creeping
Through the room
Casting shadows of trees
And leaves
They dance on the ceiling
Play on the walls
Alice tries to catch them
With her hands
Giggling and squealing
Unaware that her last words
Have already been written
Whilst mine are still to come.

River

Sometimes it feels as if our
Heart is drowning
All caught up
In the eddies and the surges
As the heart is lost
The body lies on the bed
Heavy as a bulwark
Stopping the thoughts
Spinning our wheel of luck
Dredging up the fundamentals
Of our being
In the mix of mud and metal
We pan for our good points
And our faults
We find something new
Every day
As time turns on
We edge away from the river mouth
Wash our feet
Dry them gently
With soft cotton
The warm water soothes us
Makes us ready for sleep
And that we love
She sighs
Contentedly
As we move away from the water
Our heart feels stronger
A heavy beat on dry land
We breathe
Slow it down
Close our eyes
And listen to the gentle
Lap of the far off river.

Phoenix

Alice stares at the ashes in the hearth
The taste of rotten pennies
Lingers in my mouth
The light faded many hours ago
Now the room is full of ghosts
And noises
Creaks
Shudders
Bangs
Do you think it was a phoenix
She asks
I doubt it little cricket
I reply
Maybe if we wait for morning
We will see it rise again
I roll over on to my side
Prop my head up
With my hand
I feel so very tired
Even though I have stopped
Perhaps I have many years
Of lost sleep knocking on my shoulder
The ashes must be cool now
Alice pokes at them with her fingers
Just burnt tinder and paper
She sighs
Nothing magical will appear from dirt
She wipes her hands
On her pinafore
Lays down next to me
I can feel her soft skin
And her gently beating heart
Somehow she lights the room
A pale blue glow
Like a winter sky
I close my eyes
Imagine what it would be like
To rise again.

Adjustment

We step into the red room
Our eyes adjusting to
The dimpsey light
We keep our backs to the door
Just as we have learnt
There is a broken stepladder
Resting on the wall
Beneath a broken window
Somebody must have tried to
Get out
She whispers
And they did not have much luck
I reply
We use our fingers to feel around
There is broken concrete
Sawn up wooden boards
A trail of clues
A pathway of things
That tell a story
A change from our own
I suppose
Perhaps the Red Queen
Was here
Growing old
Decaying
We do not see her any more
We miss the electricity of her hands
I hear munching
Alice holds an apple
A juicy snack
I hope it is not poisoned
That is a very different story
She chuckles
And we open the door
Step back outside.

Cotton

Can we have a rest
She asks
We have been folding cotton squares
Since sunrise
Now the skies are turning grey
Of course I say
And she leans back into her chair
With a heavy sigh
Sometimes I forget that
We get tired
It is as if time floats along in a dream
Seconds chasing minutes
Hours chasing days
I pour her some cold milk
She gulps it down
Smiles and swings her legs
Underneath the table
She looks out of the window
I keep on folding
I have to keep my hands busy
To still my head
Otherwise the black thoughts come
And once they come it is hard
To make them leave
We sit in silence
Together
But apart
For the moment at least
Shall I tell you when it is time for bed
She asks
Yes little cricket
I reply
She takes my hand
Cups hers around my ear
Whispers
It is time for bed now
My hands stop moving
My body feels heavy
I let my limbs sink into
The cotton sheets
That lay upon the bed.