Teacher, Teacher

Teacher, Teacher,
Millicent Witt
Has hidden the hamster
In her P.E. kit

Teacher, Teacher,
Jeremy Pear
Has hidden Beth’s socks
And he won’t tell her where

Teacher, Teacher,
Alasdair Tup
Says these rhymes are contrived
And the names are made up

Low Flying Rabbits Ahead

Watch out for obstreperous elephants
Or fidgety fleas in your bed
There’s a bear on your chair – don’t stare! Beware
Low flying rabbits ahead

Be warned! Argumentative aardvarks
And the tigers haven’t been fed
When in doubt you must shout, There be dragons – watch out!
Low flying rabbits ahead

Caution – cantankerous catfish
There’s a dodo called Fred in the shed
And the mad fortune teller says, Take your umbrella
Low flying rabbits ahead

Be prepared for the lemur’s cruel laughter
But don’t forget what the old tortoise said
Life is fun. When in doubt – don’t worry about
Those low flying rabbits ahead

Harbinger

Twilight deepens
In the graveyard
And the first cicadas sing

Moth’s quick shadow
On the gravestone
Human skull between its wings

The moth’s soft touch
Against your cheekbone
Fear is such a fragile thing

The harbinger
Glimpsed by moonlight
Human skull between its wings

Price List

For fun verse,
Shrieks and hollers
$20

For lyrical flights
That know no bounds
£20

For passionate prose
At Uncle Joe’s
20eu

For light verse and nonsense
That’s less intense
20p

Write a poem
With me
Free

After Words

When the nurse said
You may cry
bloodstained tears

My first thought was
how to fit
those two words

into a poem

Cataract

A simple operation
As operations go
We make a tiny cut
Remove your cataracted lens
Slip in a new one

I am nervous. Several
trips to the loo. I’m cold
Eye drops dilate the eye
My pupil is a big, black yolk
I’m watching the clock

A porter takes me upstairs
A hot June day. The view –
Beyond white roofs, the sea
I’m on the table. Don’t cross your legs
The nurse chides gently

Drops anaesthetise my eye
A ring holds my eyelid
An injection numbs
Some things a patient rarely sees
His own procedure

I’m wired up. Peeps and hums
People bustle about
My face is covered
Lights dance before my blurred vision
I’m holding my breath

Breath evenly! And do not move,
It makes my job harder,
The surgeon says. Half way.
I concentrate on keeping still
Time crawls through shadows

A nurse holds my hand
A human connection
In that bright place of knives and chrome
It’s done, the surgeon says, It was tricky
I’m wheeled away

I’m back with Jill. The nurse
Brings us tea and toast
Instructions – keep your eye patch
on tonight. Four weeks of drops
Going home. Sunshine

Back Seat Driver

A life moves relentlessly
From frame to frame
I watch it from the back row
In the dark

The detective
Knows who the villains are
All he has to do is catch them

Soon a few loose ends
May or may not get tied up
Someone will make a witty comment
And the credits will roll

Then maybe I’ll watch the prequel
Or stumble out into the cold
Streets of reality

Maybe I’ll book a ticket
Stroll along a crowded beach
My sun hat at a jaunty angle

But I’m tired
And even though these seats are uncomfortable
I’m going to have a snooze

Wake me up when it’s all over