Rebirth

I published  my first poetry pamphlet Rebirth to mark the occasion of my fortieth birthday.  As the pamphlet is now out of print, I have reprinted the two poems below which readers cite as their favourites in the collection:

ETERNAL FLAMES

We scratched them there as best we could,

into the bark of the ancient yew,

those early marks of our true love,

“Oh, how little then we knew!”

Now here we are a long time on,

viewing again our bow and arrow,

promising of love meant to last

through glad times and through sorrow.

Who’d have thought we’d end up here,

lying beneath the skies,

whilst above our love goes on,

waiting to fossilise.

Then what started out in wood

will be preserved in stone

to remind us of the bond we made,

“Together, live as one!”

Then once the stone has turned to fuel,

we’ll rise up in purple flames

and rejoice at our revival

on the earthly planes.

For our hearts will diffuse

in the heat of the burning coal

and our love will shine forever

in the life of a brand new soul.

AU REVOIR GRANDA

Standing here beside your stone

I think of you,

on your own.

I remember how you would smoke

a brown clay pipe,

tell us jokes.

Take me to the country hedgerows

where wild flowers

used to grow.

Once I knew them all by their names.

Of those we pressed

none remain.

We never got to say goodbye,

a final kiss.

Tell me why

you had to leave us all alone?

I miss you lots

now I’m grown.