Twilight Tears
written for National Poetry Day 2015 I remember the time When you were two or three Sitting with me And you cried By your bedroom window. The setting sun Had gone Behind the hill Just out of sight, Heralding the purples Of twilight And whilst apricot birds, Tangerine clouds And a myriad of green-blue hues Still rainbowed the sky I asked you why? Why did your tears flow down? And you replied With a heartfelt frown, “Mum - I miss the sun!” And in that moment I loved you more Than the sun loves the dawn And in that moment I was reminded that Every day since you were born My simple pleasures have become yours Even the ones that make us cry, Like the dying of the light in the sky, Or that scene in Frozen When Anna breathes her last And saves her sister’s life And shatters the prince’s knife You see? Oh, but that didn’t make you cry… That was just me! THE SCIENCE OF LOVE (a conversation) written for Rap'n'Rhyme at the Brighton Science Festival 2015 What are you? Are you a mixture of sensations Nervousness and inner vibrations That I feel When you are around? And is it true The pupils of my eyes dilate And my racing heart Dictates Accelerated breathing When you are around? And are The neurons in my brain producing The regulating hormone dopamine Giving me added attention and focus And is norepinephrine Increasing the recall Of new memories made And am I excited, or am I afraid When you are around? Decreased seratonin makes me a bit obsessive And my feelings can be stronger And more aggressive Making me, yes, a little possessive When you are around. And it's true That this is some of the science of you... But... I am aware of none of this When my daughter's blue eyes meet mine And even when she is defiant, I try to stay kind And empathy is the only thing on my mind When that one lost toy, I'm trying to find... And... I am aware of none of this When my dear old mum is trying to mutter Something with her eyes that her lips can't utter And I try to understand the hard-won stutter And put the birdseed on the table to attract the flutter Of her welcomed daily visitors... And... I am aware of none of this Reading silly rhymes in my card on Valentines Day And smiling at my darling, because I love the way He can make me laugh with the things he'll say And I know he'll be there, come what may... And Although I know That science will try to show That the billions of memories That make me love my friends and family Are all simply electrical impulses And neural chemistry Still I feel the impossible mystery That binds one human being to another Friend to friend, sister to brother, Daughter to son, father to mother, And Although science may try to tell me The ins and outs of your complex formulae The only thing that really makes sense to me Is that we Have to feel you To give you and receive you And whatever you mean to science To me, you are simply this: As essential, vital, beautiful, gentle and fleeting As a kiss x GAMES HAIKU A DETERMINED BALL AIMED TO PERFECTION BREAKS THROUGH A DEFEATED WALL PAST THE SPEED OF LIGHT THE BALL TRAVELS THROUGH GREEN SPACE GASPS – ANOTHER ACE DRAWING BACK THE BOW STEADY, CAREFUL, CAREFUL, AIM ARROW ON TARGET KNIGHT TO BISHOP 1 SQUINTING EYES AND ACHING BRAIN CONSIDER NEXT MOVE ROUND AND ROUND THE TRACK KEEPING PACE WITH THE LEADER NEVER LOOKING BACK PARAOLYMPIC HAIKU I AM BLIND BUT FEEL THE TRACK BENEATH MY FEET AND DEEP PRIDE IN MY SOUL WHEELS SQUEAK AND SKID WEAVING THROUGH THE THUD THUD THUD OF THE BOUNCING BALL ROCK CLIMBING It’s an adventure An outdoor gome Me verses the rockface And it’s never the same The handholds wear down And the footholds fall off It’s always a challenge It’s always quite tough Sometimes I keep falling Again and again Though the harness it holds me My pride feels the pain Using fingers like pincers My toes wedged right in I’m traversing a crevice On a ledge that’s so thin Sometimes I can feel myself Shaking inside And my disco leg’s trembling From how hard I have tried And I feel like I’m losing And I could just fall off And try something easier But I’m just not that soft And the summit is calling That moment of bliss When I haul myself over Safe from the abyss When I know I have climbed it I’ve played it and won I sit down and admire The view, and I’m done. |
Ghandi said “the cow is a poem of pity” and I wondered how that could be…
ACROSTIC COW CLOPPING OMNIPRESENT WANDERER CANDID OPPORTUNISTIC WATCHER CHARMING OUTDOOR WALKER CALM ORDINARY WOBBLER CREAM-MAKING OLD-RUBBISH-TAKING WHEAT FIELD PLOUGHER COMFORTABLE OUTSIZED WEEDER CAREFUL OUTSIDE WAITER COFFEE-COLOURED OWNERLESS WONDER RAIN Splashing down the basement steps And running down the walls The sound of the rain Bounces Into my warm dry home. The Science of Our Baby She started as a thought To make someone From our love Who could be loved And grow. And that thought became A bundle of cells Dividing and subdividing A miracle of mathematics and chemistry Each cell somehow knowing what to do How to multiply and become An arm, a leg, An eyelid, a fingernail A tongue, a heart A human. And even then, before we could tell He from she She knew what she was An x chromosome from her mother An x chromosome from her father If he had provided a y chromosome She would have been he. And then she grew Inside me As unconscious as the me who was growing her. My body was performing miracles every day That no school had taught it Feeding, nourishing, Growing this new life My body was perfectly doing What scientists struggle to do With their formulae And complex chemistry If you showed me the scientific method For making a baby I would shake my head and say “You’ve lost me, I don’t understand. I could never do all that! I have trouble making something That looks like a person Out of clay or plasticine… And that’s just one material. Don’t ask me to make all the components Of an eyeball, Or a mouth, Or a hand, With no equipment No materials And no instructions. It can’t be done. Not by me anyhow. You’ll need to find someone Who knows what they’re doing!” But my body knew something more Than my mind My body had no doubts No fears No anxiety. It knew that this was what it was made for With the millions of eggs stored up Since its creation In my own mother’s womb. And I had to trust it to do this thing To create this child. Just as I trust it to breathe and digest Without my mind telling it how. Nature knows That this first stage of building And growing Was best left out of my control. I’d probably have tried too hard And messed it up! But I knew I needed to get ready I knew that she would soon Be delivered into our conscious arms And trusted to our conscious minds To care for and nurture. A tiny, unique, human A little girl Our baby. 2009 DNA AND ME Just like my mum or just like my dad? The question is, which one is good? Which is bad? I’ve my father’s kind heart, but my mum’s tuneful voice. I’ve my dad’s sense of humour, but it was never a choice To have straight hair or curly, long legs or short ‘Cos the decision was made long before I was born. When I was first growing inside my mum’s womb I was shaping and forming to a code pre-assumed With half from my dad and half from my mum My cells were all jiggling inside of her tum. I was ordered around by the genes in my body And the DNA made sure that I wasn’t made too shoddy, Though if I’m really honest there’s some bits I would change If I could have made my DNA rearrange. I’d have made my nose thinner and my teeth much more straight I would take off the moles from my body and face. My memory would be sharper and my organisation Would have me straight-lining without contemplation. I’d have a super-clever brain that could make me more money And my ability to tell jokes would make me oh so funny! But wait…I’m describing a person I’m not If you take away my foibles and the “weaknesses” I’ve got I would cease to be me, I would cease to know you I would cease to have the family and friends that I do. For each gene that’s switched on, maybe another’s turned off? I’d be organised, yes, but asthmatic with a cough? I’d have a thin nose, but maybe lose the great voice. Am I really so sure that, given the choice, I could make a decision that would make me more happy? I’d rather be artistic and a little bit dappy Than lose all the things that I like about me All the things that now in my daughter I see. And if she has my nose and my spot-spangled skin I will tell her she’s gorgeous and help her begin By loving her DNA, challenges and all It connects her to me and her dad and that’s not all It connects her to everyone that’s ever gone before Parents and grandparents, great-grandparents and more. She’s part of us all and I love her for that So I must also love me, and where my DNA’s at. And you should love you just the way that you are You’re unique, a one off, a developing star. You may not be perfect, but neither am I But you can be the perfect you...and, hey, you can fly Your DNA’s fixed (for now!) but your dreams? Well they’re not! So work with what you have and find the right slot In this mad crazy world where you feel you belong You’re a unique human being, and that can’t be wrong. Kay Walton 2012 Baby Cry cry Smile smile Blink blink Poo poo Cry cry Feed feed Twitch twitch Gurn gurn Twist twist Smile smile Look look Feed feed Blink blink Poo poo Grab grab Laugh 2009 |