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Advent Calendar Poem #5: The King Of Christmas Dinners

The turkey’s too large
or the ovens too small
What are we meant to do about it, Paul?

A midnight axe job will do the trick,
have no worries I’ll fix it quick!

So twenty minutes later
the bird is fully prepped
it’s easy to see the funny side
when a tin foil crown rests upon your head.

Thanks for stopping by for today’s poem. I thought I’d inject a little humour into the advent calendar. I hope you liked it!

Take It Easy,

Paul

Advent Calendar Poem #4: Woodland Wisdom

Holly berries gleam 
in the bewitching winter blue-light
ruby red and      alive 
held tightly in the arms  
of emerald flames burning    darkly  
all along        the hedgerow  
reminding passers-by  
to live with passion  
            and warmth.

Thanks for stopping by to check out day 4 of the Advent Calendar of Poems I’m creating.

I hope you’re enjoying the weekend so far…

Take It Easy,

Paul

Advent Calendar Poem #3: Last Year’s Candles

Matchstick  struck 
smoulder  of smoke
 candle burning       brightly 
memories triggered by scents
of orange, cinnamon, pine
dance in rhythmic flame - 
and I lose myself 
         - willingly 
until the last wisp       of wax 
has burned away.

Thanks for reading day 3 of the advent calendar of poems. I hope your December is going well.

Let me know what you’re up to in the comments…

In the meantime, take it easy.

Paul

Advent Calendar Poem #2: Spectators

Marble clouds of mottled pearl and pewter
roll seamlessly across the sky
lost in the tilt 
of the turning world 
I am just one  
       - of the many spectators below 
still breathed and silent 
staring upwards 
wistful for a simpler times.

Thanks for reading ‘Spectators’. Inspiration came for this poem during a recent forest stay. We all revert back to watching the natural world, when the digital juggernaut of social media becomes overwhelming.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.

Thanks for reading,

Paul

Advent Calendar Poem #1: Firebird II

Bare branches lay still 
frozen in the murk of the mist
a gloom of grey blankets the world
that even the luminescence of street lamps 
offer only obscurity 
and it seems that the day is destined 
to be lived in a monochromatic mire
        - until - 
a flicker on the horizon
soft-focused flame of white
fluttering on a breeze of its own making
white warms to the copper 
copper burns to crimson
the firebird has returned 
melting wintry melancholy
with its presence.

Welcome to day 1 of my Advent Calendar of poetry for 2022. I hope you enjoy the poems I’ll be sharing over the next 24 days.

Please let me know any thoughts or comments you may have below…

I hope you have a wonderful December.

Thanks for reading,

Paul

Natural Causes

From my window,
I can see a sycamore is dying, 
limp branches bereft of leaf and bud,
can’t hide the pallor of the trunk - 
                    a doomed fading grey, 
with sickly green blotches, 
as the lichen’s fate intertwines
with the withering tree.
Soon, wailing saws will end the pain, 
settling buried roots - 
	           to their final sleep.

Thanks for reading Natural Causes. Did the words resonate with you?

I have a few poems lined up to be released over the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled for those.

Take it Easy

Paul

Treasure

The strawberry patch
  in full         bloom 
scarlet gems
ripe with summer’s flavour
under the dewy     heat 
of the sun
they are   temptation
a picture of beauty 
yet hide an    ugly truth
for the red jewels 
have hidden         chips and cracks
botched heists 
by starlings, swifts and finches
my treasure    lost 
for another 
         year.

Thanks for taking the time to read Treasure; I appreciate it. If you want to read more of my work, have a little wander around my site. Whatever you do, have a great day.

Take It Easy

Paul

Chokehold

Throat 
raw with grief
or is it the whiskey
each fuelling the other 
like oceans 
feed storms
and storms 
feed oceans. 

blue volcanoes
push magma down my face
but instead of sulphur
it's the sodium that burns 

they say applying pressure on coal
gives you a diamond 
the weight of your loss
cuts with clarity
time is precious
life is finite.

Thanks for taking the time to read this poem. Sometimes grief can’t let you say things, so you have to write them down.
Enough of the moroseness; I hope you’re doing well, and if you want to read something lighthearted after this, I’d recommend this poem.

Take it easy,

Paul

Incendiary

Golden sands were painted coal-dust black
          the day I found the flint
it called to me 
          like a flame draws a moth
I knew then my purpose 
          but setting the world ablaze
doesn’t come easy 
          often fires splutter out sparks 
and embers fade
           before they become effective
so I became patient 
           striking the firestone 
when it really mattered
           like the day            I found her 
and saw the kindling catch 
            behind her hazel eyes
the inferno still 
            roars.

Thanks for taking the time to read Incendiary. If you’d like to keep up to date with my newest poems as they come out, follow my site, and you’ll be updated with every new post.

In the meantime, take it easy,

Paul