Phoenix

Who am I asking at the top of the tree
Self-affirmation does nothing for me
I can’t trust my instincts, they’re hay-wired and shot
The message is scrambled, my brain’s lost the plot

I’m down on the floor, scraping in dirt
A nod of acceptance won’t really hurt
You in your turret, with glories to share
Tell me, a poor wretch, that you do really care

For it is cold down below in the shade of your heart
I live for attention, I am broken apart
When you look to the beauty of others in sight
Ignoring my mewling, I cower with fright

That I have lost you forever, I am lost in the dark
The future is bleak, empty and stark
I must go on without you, craft self-belief
Strength, hope and glory must rise from this grief.

******

This is me, putting myself in the shoes of one of the people in my work in progress novel, in the form of a poem. So don’t worry, I am not broken-hearted so soon into the New Year! Of course, there are elements of my personal history woven throughout, but this is essentially a piece of fiction. The main female character has lost her brother, has been left responsible for the safety of her little sister and the love of her life has taken a path she can no longer follow. Personal stories don’t change much in quasi-apocalyptic worlds, it’s the catalysts that are different….

Hurrah for the return of Open Link Night on dVerse. I will be linking up later on. Come one, come all and join in!

Embrace the new

Hello all – I am back, just in time to chase the old year out of the door and welcome in the new with a huge sigh of relief.

Wherever you are, and whoever you are, I wish you all a wonderful 2014, whether it arrives with a bang or just waits patiently for you to notice it.

I am looking forward to change, creativity, love, peace, friends, family and happiness. Oh, and just a smidge of writing – because that’s how I roll!

I hope you enjoy my poem – Happy New Year!

******

– Embrace the New –

The last moments of this year are almost departed
The countdown to next year resounds in our heads
We pause, all is silent, the moment is on us
The chimes ring out twelve times – the new year is here!

Let the London Eye spin, resplendent and glorious
With rainbow-hued lights and brilliant flame
Old River Thames reflects our festivities
Look out to the future, let our hearts beat again

What will this gift of a fresh new year bring us?
What will we learn, create or complete?
Possibilities are endless, if only we allow it
Embrace the unknown, take a chance, a blind leap

So now, let’s enjoy the chimes as they ring out
The smiles, the cheers and the old Auld Lang Syne
A fresh start, a clean sheet, a year not yet written
Happy 2014 – let adventures begin!

Ripples

When the words don’t come easy
When inspiration evades me
When I must gouge every word from my bound and stitched mouth
When the rhythm’s distorted
When the rhyme pattern is thwarted
When confidence is eroded by crippling self-doubt
When I shrink before mastery
When my skill is unsatisfactory
When my fountain of words is foundered by drought
That’s when I lay my soul bare
That’s when I let myself care
That’s when what I put there on the table is me
It’s my heart, soul and body
It’s what pushes and drives me
I’m a poet, a writer, and words set me free.