Monday 2 January 2012

what do fridges have to do with poetry?!

years ago i bought a little "magnetic poetry" kit. basically, it consists of magnetised strips with random words on them which stick on almost any metal surface. my kit was titled "cats" and contained words like "purr", "mouse", "frisky", "tabby" etc.
i had a whale of a time messing around with them on my fridge door and would like to share some of it. enjoy! :-))

come kitty
you meow and purr
feel cool floor
leap at bowl
cough out hairball
always drink sweet milk
stripey bold tiger
sleeps here

never pounce across
the mischievious mad messy mouse
to scratch special soft white whisker
and break black box
cat or not

if food is everything
be fat
but
frisky
wild
warm
crazy
& perfectly wonderful

the sleek white cat suffered
sadly a curious fish ate her ear
she let him feed
placed quiet old mice there
they are for hearing

can night think up long life
when my gray will
likes care
that would mean home

after face play
i wash family pillow
do every trick
almost able of making
companion see through heaven
in a dream

Sunday 1 January 2012

haiku about john torrington

john torrington was a member of sir john franklin's ill-starred expedition to find the north-west passage 1845-48(?). he was buried in perma frost on beechey island, a bleak spot in the arctic circle and exhumed by a team of scientists in 1984. there are plenty of photographs of him online, which are disturbing and touching and inspired me to write some haiku about him. he died on the first of january 1846 so it may be fitting to post a few of them here now.
they were all written on 2.1.09.

realisation:
black hopelessness setting in
a trap, no way out.

arctic, freezing air
desolation on bleak shore.
enveloping death.

unveiled, woken up
brought back through many winters.
what are you thinking?

lingering, slow death
missing england's mellow sun.
failing to return -

storm over beechey -
strange people digging me up.
hi, long time no see!

some haiku....

refreshing hot tea
summer sun, scones, clotted cream -
perfect happiness!
(7.8.09)

energetic dogs
fresh cool breeze from the purbecks -
walking on poole beach.
(15.11.09)

ale, time team, fb!
good thing i can multitask,
praying for power cut!!!
(29.6.11)