not all who wander...

sometimes poems are mysteries like this one

although there's something

ordinary in here

maybe less inhibited

it's long and might be short too

it's been a while

life has interrupted

how and where to live.

low red moon split by cloud

wide wild bird vee heading away

to winter wherever winter might be

end

wet outdoor cushions

ken

crush of fighting brambles

studded with berries

need

strawberries shelter under weeds

keen

how does life live itself when we’re not looking?

eke

where did fourteen, twenty, fifty-one years go

and where are they now?

keened

one sparrow eats and lives, now it’s turned into six

den

the postman smiles through the window and helps the day

he leaves presents and cards when it’s nobody’s birthday

maybe for someone else but with my name on a label

knee

in the morning it will be different for sure

which may be better or not

it takes time to know that

time and listening

kneed

a joy of boys lost in teenage grunting

urn

how does time matter except to clocks

tern

a tablespoon of turmeric glows

rent

there’s bits in the sink

where will they go

when there’s no compost bin

ten

it’s autumn and I haven’t caught up with summer

err

was that a forgotten or a remembered?

net

do I still know how to make a decision?

I think so but I would wouldn’t I

must I ask and swallow when I’m told

or take the risk and be scared

is not knowing a sign a symptom

is it confidence creeping away

not capacity

runt

is there anyone who’ll catch me?

okay i’ll do it

then make tea

nut

the apples have fallen    bright green and nibbled

under the tree    the chicken shadows

there are ways    to time travel

tomorrow

nurture

on tuesday we will birthday

on sunday I’ll remember benn

and love them both the same

different as strawberries and celery

both essences of themselves

and all of us and all the others round them

round us and every one of us different the same

here or a bit less here and here even though

return

snatches of radio music eartha kitt

children they thought were backwards

like nerdlihc or maybe drenchil or lidrench

eartha is a great name i think

rune

when i get up to pee in the night

i won’t play a word game

run

and everything and everyone will sleep

the streetlights switched off to let birds sleep too

instead of putting laudanum in feeders like we did

when lights blared all night

for drunks and nightworkers to find themselves

and birds hid under their wings

that's not true about the laudanum

but I like it anyway

such a calming word in the mouth

help us stay safe asleep till day

pulls its way out of night

the low red sun sinks

split by cloud and it will be the same

and completely changed over

again for tomorrow

not all who wander are lost.

24.8.24