Wishing Tree

The birds sing and dance

On the branches

They bend and sway

And make the leaves twirl 

Alice sings along

We ring the bells 

And tie ribbons around 

Our wishing tree

We have been looking at it fade and fall

For too many years

Soon the berries will come again

The birds will feast

Their song will be louder

Robins and sparrows 

She whispers

Our friends 

We would like to sit in the tree

Make our wishes

Health and happiness

Perhaps when this time is up

We will be birds

It would be good to fly

To have a place in the sky

Solid as the trunk 

Thick scarred wood

That looks just like our body 

We would grow tall

Hold our head up straight

Reach for the sunlight 

To make ourselves glow green 

It is good to dream

It is good to watch the wishing tree. 

Forewoman

We stand stiff and silent

As the forewoman speaks 

She is reading out loud

Our eyes do not meet

We have signed and dated

The paper 

It does not seem important now

Her words

Not ours

They are stony

Harsh and distant 

Once she is gone 

We can resume our routine

Alice fidgets

I admire her electricity 

I give up when the forewoman speaks

She will be gone soon

I think

Then we can cross the bridge

Walk along the crosswalk

Find our way back home

She used to frighten me

Now I know she will leave us alone

Once she has read the paper

Once we have signed and dated her words

It is an endurance

But one we can survive.

Bluebell

She spins and twirls

Prances and leaps

My little bluebell dancer

Toes pointed

Hands pretty

She squeals with delight

We both enjoy swaying

Listening to the music in our head

Clapping our hands

Silently moving 

Enjoying being together 

Free and quiet

Just the sound of her little feet

Landing on the floor

The odd chuckle

My breathlessness

Her spirit

Live and vibrant

Her dress moves beautifully 

As she turns

It makes her hair glow

And her skin seem like porcelain

She really is a flower

Blossoming in the light

I could dance forever 

She says

And I could watch forever too.

Famous

The man from the river

Said I had a sweet energy

About me

I want to smile

But have forgotten how

I shuffle nervously

Kick my own boots

Fiddle with a buttonhole

Your sweetness made you famous

I whisper to her

When the river man leaves

Off to catch some fish 

I am far from sweet

She replies

The birds carry fine twigs

Busy making nests

In the gaps between fences

The world keeps moving

Despite the fact that we have stopped

Curious indeed

She giggles

We walk back to our room

The sky is blue

Soon summer will come

She slips her hand in mine

It fits perfectly

Silently I think

It is your sweetness

That made you famous

And your fame

Made me sweet in return. 

Friends

I remember the kittens

She says

We are lying on the floor

Looking up at the patterns

Reflected on the ceiling 

From outside the window

They were my old friends

She says

Quite happily

I expect they are nothing but 

A memory and dust 

No 

I say

They are still alive 

Jumping through the mirror

Time and time again

Alive as long as the pages keep turning

We laugh at that thought 

You are my new friend

She giggles

An old new friend

Am I better than your cats

I ask

Of course silly

Although I miss their fur

Their wet noses

And tiny paws

The light fades

The patterns draw to a close 

We shiver slightly

In the falling light

I think of the mirror

How brave she was to follow through 

Braver than me

I will always be stuck in this world

But at least I have a friend.

A Mother's Song

I ask my mother to sing

We are playing by the water

Watching the boats sail pass

Pressing our hands 

Into the damp grass

When no one is looking

We rock

Back and forwards 

Swaying like a pendulum

It keeps the rain at bay

Stops us crying

And the tears spilling

Into the night 

We are a million miles away

But mother's song makes us

Feel at home

It is as light as clouds

And as strong as diamonds

How we miss her

How we love her

How her voice carries us

To safety

The same tune

The same notes and breaths

It makes us feel real

Connected

So silently we pray

Sing mother

Sing. 

Relations

Will there always be trouble

She asks quietly

As we lie side by side in the dark

I breathe in

Yes little Cricket

There will always be trouble

Not between us

But between us and the world

We don't quite fit

Do we

She says

My silence is the reply

We have become a Wonderland family

Small

Full of flaws 

But alive

Nipping at the heels of adventures

We could be mothers 

Or sisters

Or just two souls who 

Found each other 

When we needed someone 

I like that thought

She trills

I ran away from my family

Followed Rabbit

Got lost and then found

There were lots of puzzles

Maybe that is a better word

Puzzles not trouble

What we do is not wrong 

It is just our way

The night clicks on

Soon enough sleep will come

I thank the world for sending her to me. 

Thought

We are always thinking

Constant thoughts

Ringing in our ears

Flashing in front of our eyes

The thoughts do not run in order

Although there is a chain

A swift move from one thought

To the other

Like a string of daisies

Fragile and bright

We prefer when things

Move in straight lines 

That makes more sense

Than wild rovings 

Sometimes we lie still

As if we rest our body

Our mind will follow

But it never switches off

There are always doubts and worries

Problems to solve

Mistakes to mend 

It seems strange to think

Of a quiet mind

It would be good to scream

To let all the thoughts out

But we remain silent

Scribbling words

Holding each other softly

Maybe one day there will be rest

Gentle thoughts

And silent whispers.

Work

I am looking for a mind

At work

She whispers

We have spent too many hours 

Smiling 

Not talking

There really is very little to say

Same old years

Same old days

A well-trodden fairy tale

History has an eye 

On us 

We are not sure if it is a kind eye

So many games

So many twists and turns

And yet we are rooted to the spot

Invalided 

Unused 

Like a spare part in a busy garage 

We once had a use

Now we are gathering dust

Dreaming

Dodging life

Wasting it 

Even

She says

Our mind does not fit in

However hard we try

It has always been different

Seeing every tiny detail

Remembering things

We do not need to

If we lost some memories 

We could build a better future 

We both sigh at the thought of that

The work involved

Like forging a river

With a spoon

And so we rest

Borrow words

Turn them into something new

That is our work

Who we are

And who will forever be.