"this is sixth form poetry, not Keats or Yeats"
Sailing swiftly along the salted seashore, Your whiteish throat flanks brown streaks That accentuate comedic orange brows. Amongst saline marshes and sunken reeds You build your nests in tall grasses, Limited by any stable support to protect Our token gesture of ‘high concern’; Your whispery, wheezy song a knowing nod To the limitations of your … Read more
Your recent absences have become More pronounced; The late spring evenings are no longer Alive with the industry of your approach, And the flowers in the hanging baskets On the high street fidget with uncertainty. We know that something is wrong, and So we call a meeting in the public library, where We trace your … Read more
On the night that Titus fell His night nest was not empty, Not empty, but silent. His body still warm, Still warm to receive The procession of still warmer bodies Come to bear witness to what had Fallen. First comes Umushikirano, He beats his chest and begins to Shake the fallen emperor. Later he … Read more
Once they roamed across the plains like gods, Their gigantic frames drowning out the sun As they paraded in quiet contemplation. Jealous of their size and serenity We hunted them to the brink of extinction, Turning their beautiful pearly whites into Piano keys, billiard balls, and minor objects of decorative value. After we were told … Read more
As distant rumblings pierce pastoral air, Each roaming frog recoils without a bound; Mechanical vibrations beat the ground, And conjure up strange feelings of despair. These noises that have caught them unaware, Combine to disconcert and to confound; As distant rumblings pierce pastoral air, Each roaming frog recoils without a bound. But stress … Read more
With lines on maps too hard to see, Some call for less transparency; The nightmares of an orange clown, As walls go up the life goes down. Our sisters, brothers, foes, and friends, Will not escape this ethnic cleanse; There’ll just be ghosts, no border town, As walls go up the life goes down. … Read more
Amongst the blue-eyed leaves you made your beds, Conflicting patterns sailing on the breeze; Then weeds appeared with green and narrow heads, A nursery that couldn’t help but please. You left behind the flowers of your youth, And focused all your growth on this new truth; So when this future host became waylaid, Your … Read more
Across the vibrant reefs you snake and crawl, In search of shelter from an unseen threat; The shadows write their names in salty scrawl, Your body intertwined in blind duet. You see the world without a lens or eye, As veiled photoreceptors help you scry; Your skin a dense and tangled web of sight, … Read more
The bees effervescently Secreted sweet scents. They smelt smelly feet Then went wherever The sweetest smells went. They neglected the less Sweet smells, Seeded the scene, Then entered the nest. This is a univocalic poem (using only the ’e’ vowel) inspired by recent research that has investigated the extent to which bumblebees can identify markers … Read more
The gossamer of human life Sways gently in a passing breeze. A whisper on a callous knife – The gossamer of human life. You take away the sting of strife, With artificial growth to please. The gossamer of human life Sways gently in a passing breeze. This is a Triolet, inspired by recent research into … Read more