Tag: heart

Sadness, I instruct you

For my dear friend And now, sadness, I instruct you to be still. Let these bones rest. Marrow pale and depleted by memory and forgiveness, they are weary and cannot stand your shaking. Let the exhausted heart encased in this bombarded cage beneath my skin jarred by your gnashing and clamouring float in the buoyancy … Continue reading Sadness, I instruct you →

Sums done in the heart

One, one and one equals three if you think mathematically. But sums done in the heart have a subtler art - Hazel plus Mabel plus me. ______________________________ Hazel and Mabel are the cats I live with, who have just turned 12 and 7 years old respectively. This is their annual birthday poem. ______________________________

Five Reasons to Love the Long Nights of Winter

After a bright afternoon’s quickening light To be cradled by dusk, Its slowly sit-down darkening To contemplate the softening outline of the old cat Curled warm on your grey-trousered lap To watch the women and men with briefcases and backpacks Walk from the bus toward darkened houses To see a glow appear here or there … Continue reading Five Reasons to Love the Long Nights of Winter →

For that next bright dawn

The geese, all week, have been flying. Home. Away from this sharp promise of snow cutting through crisply darkening skies south, to the crucible of summer. Their far-carrying call slicing through the high, cold air picks up our hearts by the scruff and deposits them, safe but shaken and absurdly hungry for that next bright … Continue reading For that next bright dawn →

When Hazel was a kitten, she

would climb the drapes, wanting to see what life looked like from up above. It wasn't mischief, it was love! of exploration and adventure. And folks, here's where I should mention: Haze was born into a barn, where climbing things could do no harm and walking on the rafters was the favourite pastime of her … Continue reading When Hazel was a kitten, she →