24 June - out of the blue

How is writing like an elephant in the room ?

 -

                        let me count the ways

•  Big ears to listen and ( whisper ) repurpose some really good bits out of other peoples’ writing
  
  
• Small piggy eyes to give a misty glow around the subject
  
  
•  A long trunk with a pick up thing to take memories from jars and boxes and to open the drawers of the filing cabinet and riffle through the documents and maps and look up little known facts
  
  
• Large bulk to wedge against the door to stop visitors coming in and interrupting
  
  
•  All that - with a thick and wrinkled hide from which criticism simply trickles off and the abililty to crap all over the valuable carpet
  
  Oh - and a brain the size of a bath tub and great wisdom and love and
  
  
• The ability to hear music through the soles of the feet   

out of the blue

A letter arrives out of the blue

It landed just inside

The door under the

Letterbox as post

So often does. It is addressed 

to The Occupant It says 

We don’t want to bother you unduly - heaven

Knows - that is the

Last thing we would be wanting

but you need to know a purple 

cloud has been seen

 hovering above your roof

in recent weeks - quite small but 

you know yourself

Just what these things can lead to 

You may need

     to take precautions 

          There may be spores

Spreading down your

Chimney as we speak - do you have a boiler ?

Gas ? Or are you all electric?

That’s a shame . There’s no point then

Suggesting fumigation with a fire

Of olivewood. There are other ways

Of dealing with this problem

You didn’t know you had 

Please ring this number to discuss

Meanwhile we will pray

For you - and you

Should think of feathers

 

In the slant light of the porch

 

 

In the slant light of the porch

Is somewhere else and not this house

Under this porch, midsummer,

The morning photons shone

Directly though it, lighting up the hall as it’s a 

Barrow or a

Baba Yagas hut

Lifted up on hefty chicken legs

Turning round to face the sun

 

It’s full of badger bones and sweets

And brightly coloured things

Half finished spells and jars

Of strange ingredients, rare earths

And metals, planets, plants and worlds