blue sky

well it isn’t you know that

it is

combing the cat

graceful becomes grateful

then we have a snooze

a pearl

of inestimable value

in this black oyster

so rare the grit of words

that can wax the moons of time

chuckling

i cannot stop the tears

of plinking smiles

every drop of wee

that runs from you and me

ends up in the sea

we are in this together

evaporating as rain

poems don’t rattle

inside my hand held skull

listen is written

what stirs the damp wind

that the apple blossoms snow 

upon winter’s death

prophesy 
what the blind see
eventually

at the scrubbing board

the old woman washing clothes

how the brass shines

in the sea

grip of the lost

overwinters

sea swimming

colder and colder

the sea reclaims my time

again and again

deathly cold

the sea is eating me

all the way home

transfusion

of rain and sea 

salt

back in my armchair

the cold of the sea recedes

life returns

if only

the sea could speak

of death

of life everlasting

at death’s neap tide

snail

how slowly the yard

moves

things we did then

that we would not do now

we want to

‪cyclists and joggers ‬
‪learning to time my held breaths ‬
it is an ill wind

when we were locked in

wandering through memories

remember this

purses

old ladies’ time machines

fumbling memories

past battlements 

how many clocks

have blown past

origami

folding into a face mask

the virus mutates

counting the daisies 

until the stars come out

counting the stars 

he’s a big boy now

first time off stabilisers

mum’s instability 

then the blossoms

form a carpet walked to mulch

spring in my step

‪oh the sea‬
‪truly it runs in our vanes‬
‪pointing the way‬

corvid announcement

i’ll be astonished if i’m honest

believe me

lockdown

painting the fence again

woodland green

hand on the cat

i sneeze and sneeze

she sleeps on

stirring

hand upon the sleeping cat

coffee soon

writing alone
and yet collaborating 
dear readers

haiku to savour 
again and again i think 
another meaning

enlightenment

the dark ages

have returned

valley chapel

beneath the coal tips

snowing

chapels

knitted to the valley sides

prayer cushions

woven terraces

down through the valleys of

miners’ lamps

old men

hanging on rusty railings

what have they lost 

grandpa

those coal tattoos 

how old are they

pandemic

the slalom gets faster

as we get cold feet

in the cemetery 

the blossoms are falling

i leave now

‪pandemic‬
‪they are in their castles ‬
‪serfs dig their graves‬

hover fly shadow

circling my belly button

at mid day

the ant

does it see the beauty 

of the flower

bluebells and

dandelions and daisies 

and pear blossoms

forget me not this summer

when pussy went wandering 

‪birdsong‬
‪plinking chinks of light‬
‪in dawn’s blue egg‬

pear blossom

over this daisy sward

blue bells sing

I am myself

the day is complimentary 

the grass child

remember

fists full of dandelions

wishes on the wind

snake ripples

swimming along the brook

alongside

lockdown

my childhood memories

unlocked

dusk

came out of nowhere

and kissed me

old hands 

caressing young leaves 

remembering

coming storm

cherry blossom rushing around

wakes the cat

existentialism

deconstructed by a viral

infection

why?

squashed with a woodlouse 

out of existence 

it is coming

hiding behind the potted plants

cherry blossom 

‪104 ways‬
‪a dream catcher and a plant‬
‪shut for the duration‬

cherry blossoms fall

the woodpecker drills 

gardeners chat

waiting

for the summer grasses

the gap in my teeth

cat in the long grass

midges riding a sunbeam

ahh summer summer

lighting a candle

my ancestors gather round

the fire glows

railway bridge

engulfed with steam

the boys drop stones

clouding over

i take my tea inside

sunshine!

pear blossom 

cotton wool clouds

petals rain

here’s a badge

and a centenarian

sorted 

you voted to pay less tax

now you’ll get your just rewards

fate 

in the claws of the eagle 

enjoy the view

planting beans

uncomfortably playing god

again

the butterfly 

and it’s shadow

unrelated

that meme muse

of retarded rhyme

bugger off

or the trick of thick rose prose

will prick you on the nose

‪pandemic news‬
‪all the acronyms‬
‪explained ‬
‪in case we have not caught on‬
‪they repeat them repeat them‬

first one

and then another

blossom rain

claws in life’s contract

signed in locum parentis 

no refunds

‪hoverfly ‬
‪why have you gone silent‬
‪my hat‬

‪shadow art‬
‪we do not own the sun‬
‪but in our minds‬

life is -

but a delusional cage

lock down in and out 

‪wailing‬
‪across the seven seas‬
‪of why‬

lie me in pantheon

it is the only hope i have

do it now 

ne’er shocked - for 

we’ll all be dead or dying

when the truth be told

light trumpet 

involuntary thinking

these sad days 

when the blue

is bleeding blossom

cry smile

i worry

then the chicken lays an egg

broody hell

my cat my mews

when words are not enough

she purrs

in my brain

a million synapses

writing haiku

hoverflies

such a fuss

be still 

lockdown

the day graffiti died

alone

‪haiku ‬
‪April showers of spirit‬
‪drink deeply‬

april morning

the children chuckling

another breath

the world

is a haiku full

word

lockdown 

counting the neighbours dogs

barking mad

summer prayer

drying in the sunshine

please stay

‪chickens‬
‪red combs in the sunset‬
‪a scratchy record‬

little fish swim

the egret strikes

little fish swim

storm beach 

pebbles eating everything 

except the sea

locked in we hit out

lock down  and

they give us the pollen count

but covid-19

is the new pollen count 

for eyes that are red with tears

in a wild sea

i dream of licking dried salt

later - when it’s over

female trombonist 

in a black suit and tie

black shoes

she sure knows how to blow

to march to the eternal tune

words are cheap

but the right words are priceless

order yours now

irksome

when i mimic the birds

it annoys them

cherry blossom

milking the day’s dusk

moonshine

encore 

the silent applause 

of butterflies 

bugger off

the golf course is closed

social distancing 

‪what it once was‬
‪is slowly becoming‬
‪what it is‬
‪and what was left behind‬
‪will be soon forgotten ‬

‪social distancing ‬
‪detour through the cemetery ‬
‪with everyone else‬
‪we all say please excuse me‬
‪as we walk upon the dead‬

pebbles beach

everyone a lover’s face

for someone

the door snores

it is a spring morning

and the breeze brings

the cat in from the daisies

to lie as a sundial

time

and again

it’s time

pandemic

now we can see the palaces

from the wheeze

so now it is

mid april 2020

and the plot thickens 

the door creaks open

the c_a_a_a_t

walks in

under the bridge

the blossoms float away

fare we well

time was and now isn’t

blossoms sip tea

hover flies bomb sleeping cats

April lovers all

heat wave

the cat takes a hot drink

in the greenhouse

formula one

hover flies take the chicane

around the garden

meet me again

where time stood still

lost in ourselves

bean poles

tying spring to summer

twine time

huge icicle 

little blue hands carrying

it home to mum 

slum surprise 

hammering cockroaches 

at midnight

dear violet

lose me in your blue petals

embrace the light

slow sunbeam

climbing a single thread

night’s spider fled

ghosts ?

i whistle a jolly tune

just in case

‪the language garden 
‪straight rows‬ and weeds‬
‪nettle wine‬

lexicon-19

epicentre megalab

herd immunity

government take note

when the nurses are dying

our patience runs out

local walk

i don’t meet anybody’s

happiness

‪keeping busy‬
‪permutations of time’s lock‬
‪after before now‬

magnolia

shedding petals 

snap!

bloody 

deep in the brambles

flowers

extinction 

the love gene’s transduction 

flatlines

love you 

in the way you love 

my love

‪winter‬
‪in my rice bowl‬
‪only tears‬

two meet us

or not two metres

that is the question 

golden sunset

a cliché for our times

wry smile

intubating

goodbye cruel world

i tried

‪followers‬
‪they are following me‬
‪do you follow me‬

time

for potting on the cuttings

sunny boy

bird nesting

down by the valley stream

where time ran slowly

icy tears

trickledown a dream

mountains

thinking 

by the sea’s side’s

apostrophes 

budgie perch

mirror bell and ladder

now i understand 

percussion 

symphony on a yogurt pot

lockdown

driftwood 

ships bolts 

in the ashes

no car

no drive through

testing testing 

times 1 2 3

is it is it only me

‪coronavirus‬
‪waiting for the last verse ‬
‪poetic justice‬

isolating

the monopoly board 

all houses

no get out of jail free

just the community chest

chimes and bird calls

how slow my thoughts are flowing

this morning

a flood

of broken hearts

in this drought 

beach boy and dog

their run in with the sea

alive alive oh

a flood

of broken hearts

in a drought