Miscellany – dVerse Meeting the Bar

– 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

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.

Glimmer – dVerse Poetics

Here’s my submission to the dVerse Poetics prompt – this week, we are asked to write something inspired by one of the six beautiful artworks created by Catrin Welz-Stein showcased in the blog post.

I hope you enjoy my piece which has been inspired by the picture below – please do visit the linky link thing to read many more!

Copyright Catrin Welz-Stein

Copyright Catrin Welz-Stein

*****

– Glimmer –

I long to fly away from here
escape the tendrils of my fear
that binds its barbs around my heart
and dogs my footsteps in the dark –

The dark that wraps itself around
and anchors my feet to the ground
leaden shoes and iron soul
a face that’s frozen, solid, cold –

A cold that cuts my life in two
that separates the me from you
there is no way to reach you now
I’ll never hear your voice aloud –

Your voice is just an echo, soft
whispers, laughs, holds me aloft
and draws my spirits high above
up to the clouds, with all your love –

Love, fly me away from here
banish dread, despair and fear
gently cradle my bruised heart
and light my way out from the dark.