Winter

Some say winter

Is a dirge

What does that mean

She asks

A joyless song and dance

I suggest

Like when all the hail

And rain and sleet

Pound the window

And we lie in bed and moan

Well I find winter soothing

She says

Summer by the river bank

Was hot and sticky

Heartless

I will request the robin

To sing 

I am resigned to fancying

That bird 

It is small but strong

Just like me

She giggles

How beastly

To declare winter is a dirge

It seems quite beautiful to me

A time of change

And moving weather

We will wrap up warm 

And welcome it in. 

The Darkling Thrush

The darkling thrush

Sits upon the broken gate

The wood is sharp

It trembles and shakes

Like twigs

When the thrush sings 

Just like carolling 

Her voice trembles 

Her spirit at once fire

And clouds 

Just like you

I whisper to Alice

You are my written

Song bird

My spirit is frail 

It has an air of gloom 

One I cannot shake off

Or dare to try

We could listen to

The darkling thrush

For all time

It feeds our soul

And gives us hope

Just like any song 

Should do.

Apples and Spoons

She holds the shiny red apple

In her hands

It makes her skin glow

Like snow

Today we found some rusty

Silver spoons in a drawer

We would like to polish them 

But like the way that they 

Look used

Loved

Treasured

Standing on the edge of the rocks

Like a portal into a different world 

The candles have been burning

For a while

The wax builds up

Is reflected in the mirror

Somewhere

A man carries a cello

She giggles

We are in the frozen church

Well

Not really we dream it

Like we dream of galloping on a horse

Over a wind swept beach

Or sailing a ship out to sea

The peacock sings

All is burnt 

All is burnt

But here she is

The essence of life

Carrying the first fruit

Of the fall. 

Repeating Myself

Sometimes I would like to tell

A different story

I tell her

It feels that our adventure

Has lasted for a long time

All good adventures do

She replies

We are lying in bed

Waiting for the phone 

To ring

It never does

Who would want to hear our voice

Lots of people 

She says

And who needs phones

When you have paper and words

I smile at her

Always the little optimist

She giggles

Wraps up warm next to me

Like a kitten 

You see just there

I am repeating myself

How much longer can we sleep 

And curl up together

Forever and ever

She says

You will know when the story stops

It. just comes to you

Like a closing book

Or the jolt of waking up

And when it does

Every sentence will be new and shiny. 

Parallax

We look at the world

Through a window

It spirals and turns

Hard to pin down

At times it dances fast

Which makes our hearts thump

Then it settles

And we brood

Make it spin again 

She squeals 

We dare not open the door

People creep

On the steps and the stairs 

We always keep the keys

In the lock

Not everyone can be our friend 

The afternoon drifts by

In a smokey haze

We like the silence

It is like a blanket

Preparing us for sleep

Such is the wonder

Of a parallax.

Snow

The snow falls silently outside

We watch through the window

Remember the cathedral

How pretty the windows were

A man in a hat watches 

The wall

The woman's face is there 

We would rather watch the woman 

In the green woods

Talking to the wolf

One moment she is still

The next she is up and dancing

A swirl of pink 

And amber

Magical 

Whispers Alice

I can't look away

From the child's face

Her eye is covered

She has a feather in her mouth

And yet she looks resolute

Like nothing will silence her

As if her story will last forever

Like a ship in a bottle

Cast out to sea

Spared from the heels

And the railway track

Spared from slipping and falling

And so the snow coats our morning

A silent and soft

Start to the day. 

Cozy

We wrap ourselves up

Cozy and tight

The weight of the blankets

Calms and soothes us

Protects us against the world

We do not sleep

Just lie very still 

Hoping the day will pass 

Sometimes it is enough

To live in our head

Other times

We wish we had someone 

To hold us

Keep us safe

That would be new

She mutters

No one ever did

No one ever will 

Our bodies were touched

But not with love

It is no wonder we do not trust

Open our hearts for all to see

Life has been a shard

Of glass

We are glad we have 

Found away to defeat it

Wrapped up here

Cozy and tight.

A Pan for Christmas

Can we have a pan

For Christmas

She delights

We can bang it

Make a noise

Pretend we are in a parade 

Or some other type 

Of gathering 

It would be good

To make some music

To recreate all the ambitions

We forgot 

I remember the teachers

Made me feel safe

I was happy

For a short while at least 

We can buy a little tree

At the grocery store

Place an angel on top

She finds a steel pan 

In the dusty cupboards

And then a wooden spoon

I brace myself

And hold my head

As she bangs her pan

For Christmas. 

Hands

She holds the big metal key

In her tiny pale hands

I hold a leaf 

We have been praying 

For an adventure

Turning the beads between

Finger and thumb 

Will we ever get old

She asks

We already are 

I reply

When I am very old

Will you hold my hand

Of course Little Cricket

I will cherish every wrinkle 

Like the innards of a tree stump

She opens a door with the key

Places it on a waiting table

We are outdoors now

Holding a pigeon

Make it fly

She hoots and I let it go 

As I clap my hands

Light appears

It really is something

This Wonderland 

We trip 

Skip

Fall through it together

Hand in hand. 

Bleeding Heart

Goodbye bleeding heart 

She sings

I wonder where 

She finds the words

What does it mean

She trills

I stop

And think for a moment

To leave without regret

I reply

But I could be wrong

I get lots of things wrong

Hmm she replies

I think you must be right

It feels like that

When I sing it

She starts singing again

Over and over 

I hope she will get bored

Of it soon

But am pleased that she is happy

Making a noise 

In my silent world

I lie down

Exhausted

Even small things 

Make me tired

Alice lowers her voice

She understands

As the minutes tick on 

She knows to stop

And she sits at my feet

Looking out of the window

I think your heart

Is bleeding she whispers

That is why you are sad

I know of course that 

She is right

Thank you for

Understanding

I whisper back

Glad that we are still

Together.