Category DVerse

Gloria! – dVerse Poetics

freyathewriter 32 Comments

Something strange is happening in the ether. This week’s dVerse Poetics prompt yet again seems to have a certain connection with the unravelling of my own family history. I must confess, it’s like removing layer after layer of a very large onion!

This week’s prompt is all things Italian. Luckily for me (since I haven’t visited Italy), we don’t need to be obvious in how we interpret this prompt. As a bit of background, my mum used to take me to Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery every time we went into town, and I loved it. I now know that this place holds very strong and extremely fond memories for her, which adds to the joy of my own memories of our visits, which I adored.

I hope you enjoy my small snippet from my childhood – and take a look at all the other offerings on dVerse as well!

– Gloria! –

I spent my childhood here, or so it seems
A small girl, grasping her mother’s hand
Gazing open-mouthed at the glories above
Light reflecting on oil,
Paintings as lustrous as if they were finished only yesterday
And the brushes still resting, waiting to be cleaned.
If only I could reach up and touch
I just knew that my fingertips would pull away slick –
Sticky with vermillion, regal blue and baby-blush rose
A tiny remnant of Madonna and Child

 

 

Miscellany – dVerse Meeting the Bar

freyathewriter 35 Comments

– Miscellany –

You can choose your friends

but not your family, so they say.

This thought comforts those who have shallow roots

or roots that are tortuous, jagged and sharp.

But sometimes, you don’t get to choose the friend –

he or she selects you in a way that surprises,

and sometimes hurts.

You don’t have a choice, it’s not always warm and cosy,

not always ideal.

But life isn’t like that – tidily arranged

with signs that point you in the direction best-suited.

So grab hold of your friend, the one who has elbowed

his or her way into your life.

And never let go.

*****

This week, we write about friendship, in honour of a poet who left us too soon, Dave King.

I didn’t have the joy of ‘meeting’ him unfortunately, but his poems and blog are there for us to visit, which I certainly will. You can read and discover many more thoughts on friendship right here.

Time for Tea! – dVerse Open Link Week 117

freyathewriter 33 Comments

Here’s my latest entry into the dVerse Open Link – why not take a look at everyone else’s wonderful responses?

This piece is about a great British tradition, inspired by an overheard snatch of conversation and a memory of growing up that gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling. I hope you enjoy it!

*****

– Time for Tea! –

A cup of tea, it cures all ills
Here in England, the land of Wills
& Kate, and Good Queen Bess
Forgive me now, I must confess

To being rather a fussy type
You know the sort, it must be right,
First you have to warm the pot
Then add the leaves, use a lot

There’s not much worse than a feeble brew
Unless of course you let it stew –
Under-steeped or left too long
Third-rate tea, well that’s just wrong!

A china cup is just the thing
From which to let the flavours sing
And lift you after a long, hard day
You know, we won the war that way

Or so my grandma used to claim
When I was young, the old refrain
Of ‘Shall we have another pot?’
Was something she would say, a lot

I drank it, though I wasn’t fond
Because she made it very strong
The way my grandad liked it, see
It was his perfect cup of tea.