Featured Poet - Tim Boardman

SCYTHE

There’s nothing like

seeing your mothers

Tears

as you go to sleep

to hear her

Weeping

Leaving her

and us

in an emotional

Heap

last night

her voice breaking

Understanding

Her plight

Not wanting to be there

and not giving up

The Fight

‘Nowhere is quite right

I don’t want to end

My life here’

There’s nowhere to hide

With people talking rubbish

And the hooded man

With a scythe

Peering in

From outside

WHAT EXPLAINS

Why I was

Crying in the car

I’m a

collapsed

Old man

With

Tears

Soaking

The car seat

Eventually

I’m swimming

In the car

In the sea salt

Like Alice

Arriving home

And wringing out

The car mat

And the cat

Just grinning

Just grinning

EARLY START

Marmalade and butter

In a small plastic tubs

I think we’re

Going on holiday

to Crete

My headache thinks I am

an early morning start

Packed cases

waiting for taxi

Last minute check

Sunglasses, books, and tablets

But no knife

To butter the toast

At St. James’s hospital

Waiting for further check ins

A beige raincoat

Hung on back of chair

And pyjamas on

TEMPUS FUGIT

Having the

Grandmother

Clock

in the room

is disturbing

It means

Nothing

to me

apart from

Memories

of the chime

But it’s not working

Transporting

The clock

in the car

From mum and dads

Sounded

Like Pink Floyd

‘Ticking away the moments

That make up a dull day’

As the car hits bumps

CUP

‘Could you get me a cup

John’?

‘From the kitchen ‘

We all hold our breath

Eventually we chat about

The weather

Cloudy and

Cold

Still waiting

And now it’s raining

As the clock strikes 10

When it’s actually 11

We carry on talking

the electric heater

Is on

and glows

Eventually

dad appears

With a toothbrush

‘Lovely,

Thank you’

Said the lady in a uniform

BUTTERFLY

A perfectly

preserved

Red admiral

and

It’s carcass

remained intact

as it

drifted down

from the rafters

of the garage

when moving

A step ladder

that hasn’t

been used

In years

Cocooned

Bodies wrapped

In duvets

their antenna

Legs and arms

Poking out