Climate Change

I guess this is love

In a time of climate change

We can taste it on our tongues

Rich and crude

The essence of survival 

We are standing by the sea

The waves crash against the rocks

Like heat

A kettle boiling 

Just in time for tea 

We will grow flowers

From seeds 

Plant them in thick compost

Let them ripen 

Create a rare habitat 

A place where we can play

And dream 

The world is changing 

Sometimes it feels 

That we can not keep up

Better to lie still

Watch the shadows play out

On the ceiling

The sun fading

The moon cropping up

I wonder how long we can survive

It all seems so tenuous 

This love

In a climate change. 

Childhood Stories

I really loved those little books

Alice

Loved them so much I chewed 

Their cardboard covers

As if by eating them

The sugary words

Would fall inside me

And fill me up

Do you remember what was in them

She asks

There was a rabbit

I say

You mean Rabbit

No little Cricket

There are more than one rabbit

This one was called Peter

How strange

She says

What are the other names

I believe there is a Velveteen Rabbit 

But we never had one of those

I wonder if those chewed little books

Are still out there

Waiting for another child

To fulfil 

I am sure they are

She strokes my face

Stories never leave us

They are the building blocks

Of different stories

Memories and love

All wrapped up

I would do anything to hold those little books 

Again

Well it is a good job you stole them then

We sit back and giggle 

The best ending to any story. 

Unrelated

Perhaps we have very little 

In common 

She tweets

In an unrelated way

I look her in the eye

Over the flames 

Of the campfire

Nothing could be further 

From my mind

Little Cricket

We always find a way

To see the world together 

Different versions of reality

A place with the same taste 

In the air

I look at the brand on my arm

She studies it too

Are there any more stories

She asks

I am getting peckish 

Always

I say

The world is full of stories 

And tales

You wrote one yourself

Didn't you know

I was just a character

She says

No Alice

You are much more than that

You are a guiding light

A beginning

And an end

But always alive

She curls her toes

As if she is enjoying the words 

In an unrelated way we are together

I hope that will last for a very long time

So do I she whispers

As the embers of the flames

Die down

And fade

We hold each other tight.

Forward

We are not very good at

Moving forward

I say

We are sitting in the half light

She giggles

We are not very good at

Moving backwards either

Perhaps we are stuck 

In this in-between place

All the signs and symbols

Swirling around our head

But not as clear

As cake

Or poison 

She says

In her usual

Rational 

Way 

Perhaps you do not want to move

If you did it would be easy

Just follow Rabbit

Solve the puzzles

And be back at the tree

For supper

I wish I could think as clearly as you

Little Cricket

It is like my feet are made of clay

Then I will get a hammer and break them

She always has an answer

Perhaps you are moving forward 

But do not see

She says

Every day we wake up

Is a step forward 

She takes my hand

Just be sure to wake up

Then breathe

And the whole world

Will move forward with you. 

Song Sparrow

The song sparrow

Sits in our hand

We can feel its feathers

And its fragile bones

We brush our fingers

Over its face

Wishing it to sing 

We like the sound of her song 

It is something we held 

In times before 

We have spent decades 

Bent over on the porch 

Swinging on the chair

Listening to the bugs

The song of endless summer 

The air is cool 

The sky clear

We lift our hand up

But the song sparrow 

Does not fly away

We can share in her beauty

For a moment longer

I look at Alice's face 

She smiles quietly

And it brushes off on me

All is gentle

Sweet and true

We love the song sparrow

And think it loves us too. 

Symbol

She holds the silver chain

In her tiny hands

We do not believe in God

Or his son

But we feel safe with this talisman 

Held within us

The safe verticals

The tough horizontal 

We have held the shape so long

The silver feels soft

A little warmer 

Than our body temperature 

Even if we do not believe

We know this cross 

Has kept us safe

When we do not hold it

We hang it from the light

Let its shape shine

Flourescent 

Powerful

Able to hold us

When we are ready for the next adventure

I will place the cross around her neck

She will hold my hand

And so a perfect circle 

The world is full of signs 

And symbols

The ones we hold most 

Can never be stolen

They are inside us

Untouchable

Ours.

Sister Death

Sister Death taps us on the shoulder

She does not like that 

We dance 

Sing praises 

To Saint Francis 

How he cares for animals

And babies 

She giggles 

We have just finished dinner

And the door is open 

It is a mystery how we feed ourselves

All our heart wants

Is cake and powder 

Perhaps we are partners now

Inseparable 

Huddled in the ashes of 

Our hut 

It is a shame there are no others

But I humbly accept

Her love 

Our eyes are tired

Our limbs aching

We seem to be always waiting

I prefer an adventure

She says

There are no rabbit holes

Here

I reply

Just wells with no bottom

And no water

Like an empty font

Remember when we used 

To go to the quiet place 

Everything is closed now

I remember 

She whispers

She is more than me

More than Saint Francis 

And Sister Death

She is real

Precious

And holy.

Octobers

October comes in all her glory

The gentle brush of autumn 

Sweeping the window frame

The trees quietly shedding

Skeleton leaves

Spindle branches

Rough bark

Trunks 

Perfect weather for sleeping

She says

With a yawn 

The bed is well worn

The pillows shaped

To our heads

Strands of hair 

The smell of shampoo 

And dreams 

We keep the windows open

The air smells fresh 

Keeps us clean 

And naive 

We are scared the building will 

Fall down

Just like the leaves 

We huddle up together

Shut our eyes

To keep the fear at bay

When did summer end 

I do not know little Cricket

But I am so glad we live in a world

Where there are Octobers. 

Tonsure

Perhaps we should shave our heads

And say a prayer

She giggles

I see my father in my face

It is what I have become

We buy flowers

Make a display

Lush as a beard

All colours and scents 

Make and mends 

She bows her head

I am not sure I like men

She says

Building blocks 

Matchboxes and books

We are not bitter

But we do not like to lose our words

It is all we have 

The story at our feet

The prayer

The silently mumbled words

We pay due reverence 

To the monks

Comb our hair out

Let the tangles fall in the sink 

We are so very tired

That is why we lie still

Hand in hand

Prayer in prayer.