24 December 2011

Christmas Tree


It’s Christmas time yet once again
another year has past
slightly quicker than the last one
which also moved quite fast -

it sometimes leaves me wondering
how many yules are left
to gather up the family
into my little nest -

to decorate the Christmas tree
and sing of jingle bells
of Rudolph with a ruby nose
and Santa and his elves
of a manger and a baby
and a silent holy night
of a star that lit the eastern sky
with incandescent light -

to soak up all the magic
as the mistletoe is hung
as fairy lights twinkle
as  carol singers hum
as the universe listens
to that yuletide seasonal plea -

 let the family gather next year
round the Christmas tree with me.

22 December 2011

Five Rows of Seats


The man in the glasses and brown leather coat
sat down for the evening’s concert ...

At his right sat his wife resplendent in red
but with head lopsidedly angled ...

He took in the sight of his wife at his right
and pretending she wasn’t with him
focused on the sight of the theatre that night
as the opera goers poured in ...

Excitement showed in the bulge of his eyes
as somewhere the gentleman recognised
an acquaintance last seen in Paris streets
or so he broadcast across five rows of seats,
a mistake he soon regretted ...

The lights dimmed the singers appeared
the silence spoke of a magic shared
as Don Giovani regaled us ...

All except one resplendent in red
whose bobbing, nodding, snoring head
reminded her husband that she was there
cradled in the arms of Morpheus
and sitting only five rows back
was the man he’d met in Paris ...

He was clearly embarrassed ...

He nudged his wife, she didn’t stir ...
He pinched her bright red arm,
aghast as she clapped with much effect
just as Don Giovanni clutched Zerlina’s breast 
an unspeakable moment of horror ...

The man in the glasses and brown leather coat 
sank in his seat as low as would go 
but not low enough to escape the looks 
of rows P through to T who in concert took
his memories of Paris Streets 
 and hurled them back at him 
across five rows of seats.






10 December 2011

Ride of My Life


Not spending
any more energy
trying to undo
outcomes
that don’t meet
the images
of my expectations ...

Going to straddle
the steed
of no regrets
and let it
lead me
to unexpected joys.