Friday 20 September 2024

Shades of Light and Dark

To mark my 63rd birthday I proudly present another collection of poetry and photographs, all taken by me. Once again, it is a mix of shades of light and dark and in some cases miniature stories in verse. I hope you will enjoy reading.

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Sweet Peas


The scent of sweet peas
Drifted through an open window
Played havoc with her senses
Some things never leave you
Remembering the posy
He left by the kitchen sink
Wiry stalks tied
With frayed green string
And the letter…
The letter saying
“It isn’t you, it’s me”
It felt like they no longer
Wanted the same things
Teardrops fell creating
Inky whirlpools on the page
He always had a way with words
Or at least that's what
She used to say
But she was not listening
Or believing any more
Flimsy wilting petals
Infidelity dressed up
As remorse.
<>

The Fruit and Veg Man


We called him
The fruit and veg man
He had a stall
In the market
He sang as he spoke
Made up rhymes
About apples
Cherries and parsnips
You could hear him
Above the noise of the street
No microphone was needed
If he had told people
Carrots were blue
I swear they would have believed him
He squeezed the hands of old ladies
When he gave them their change
Made them feel
They were getting extra
Irrespective of what they had paid
I once asked why he had
A crowd around him
When other traders never did
He winked and said
A bit of banter
And a cheeky smile
Has always got me
Where I want to be.
<>

The Busy Bee


When you were a child
You used to laugh
When I called you
A busy bee
You raced around
Flapped your arms
Made a buzzing sound
Through pursed lips
One time I decided
To slow you down
And sit you on my knee
I said whilst it is fun
To soar and fly
Feel the wind in your face
As you aim for the sky
You must also
Make the time
To study the bee’s
Tiny stained glass wings.
<>

Lavender Burst


There was something about
The time of year
When summer leaves
Started to lose their sheen
And the smell of lavender
Hung in the air
Clouds of purple confetti
Scattered in her hair
She thought they would be
Together forever
Clinging to rainbows
In stormy weather
Remembering times
Now drenched in doubt
Were his feelings for her
Ever sincere?
<>

The Ballroom


It was once a ballroom
It stood there for years
An ornate reminder
Weeping derelict tears
Now it had to be demolished
To build a superstore
Another chain without a link
As if we needed any more
Peeping through the rubble
I saw a single orange flower
It was my mother’s favourite colour
A ray of sunshine in dark showers
It reminded me of the marigolds
My father grew for her
And beside it I spotted
A single creamy pearl
A necklace once cherished
By a 17 year old girl
I pictured my parents dancing
To a piano melody
The night they first met
In 1963.
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New Territory


Scrambling beside
The remains of
A crumbling
Wooden jetty
Using jagged rocks
To assist in
Navigating pools
Of seaweed
And soft mud
I felt like
I was treading
Where no-one
Had gone before
Virgin territory
A remote island
Belonging to me
I don’t think
I have ever
Felt so aligned
With the pulse
And the heartbeat
Of the river
Whilst teetering
On the brink of
New discoveries.
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Harmony

This poem was inspired by the Paul Weller penned song 'Liza Radley'. It is due to feature in the 40th anniversary edition of the fanzine I wrote in the early 80s, called 'Kindred Spirit', which I am currently working on.


I used to see her
Late at night
Her name
Was Harmony
She wore
Wild marigolds
In her hair
And dresses with
Floaty sleeves
It was as if
She had entered
Another world
When she glided
Through midnight fields
I sometimes used
To wonder if
She was a figment
Of my imagination
But early one morning
I heard a faint knock
And when I opened
The curtains
I noticed a perfect
Orange heart
Had been drawn
In the mist
On my window pane.
<>

Driftwood Wish


The sky turned burnt crimson
A wizard landed on the beach
He held a piece of driftwood
Up to the moon
And granted it one wish
The driftwood replied very softly
On the back of a sea breeze
It said I was once a sturdy branch
Of a sycamore tree
Spiders weaved intricate tapestries
Through my ornate leaves
They glistened with raindrops
After spring showers
Tiny jewels suspended
In threads of tears
They twinkled at sunrise
Floated through sunset
Please will you carefully cut out a leaf
And carve a web in my fading bark
To remind me although
My appearance has changed
I will always be a tree at heart.
<>

Beyond The Gate


It hurts me when I see you
Walk this path alone
I sense your pain and anger
A fusion of my own
Emotions
I know you have left the gate open
For me to walk on through
Never give up hope my angel
I will come back to you
On days when you feel despondent
Do the same as I do
Think of our separation
As temporary
A grey sky that
Eventually
Turns blue.
<>

Between the Cracks


The ground
Was cracking
Under her feet
He had stripped her
Of everything
Alienated from
Family and friends
Manipulated
Into disconnect
Locked within
His private world
Clutching at shreds
Of self respect
She should have
Listened to her mother
When she said
He was bad news.
<>


Sunrise Breakfast


The smell of coffee
Swirls of steam
Playing with my senses
Gyrating genies
Taking the first sip
I close my eyes and think
Of clear winter mornings
Ice blue and gold
Pewter whispers
New horizons unfold
Smiles exchanged
No words needed
Decisions can wait
Until later in the day
Breathing deeply
Inhaling possibilities
Sunrise breakfasts
By the sea.
<>

The Ghost of the Fallen Bunker


Some said
He was a vagrant
But his accent
Did not suggest
Humble beginnings
He wore
A tattered uniform
With a row of medals
That glistened
He appeared
On the beach
When the tide
Was out
Then vanished
Like footprints
In soft sand
His voice boomed
Over howling winds
Tales of fear
And slaughter
You could taste
His tears
Something in
His tone
Demanded you
Listen
To the ghost of
The fallen bunker.

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Thank you once again for reading. You can find me on both X and Instagram under @jillwebbwords. Links are provided below:

       

        






Sunday 21 July 2024

VSS365 Poetry


Welcome to my latest blog post and thank you for taking the time to read. It's been quite some time since I last posted anything here. I have been rather busy working on both my first novel and a special 40th anniversary edition of the music and poetry fanzine I wrote in the 80s. 

To ensure the creative fires continue burning, over the last few months I have taken part in various daily poetry challenges on X (Twitter). One which has well and truly captured my imagination is the daily #vss365 challenge.

Different poets take turns to host. They select a prompt word every day for others to write poetry around, then imaginations run free! Some of the poetry I've posted on X has had to be shortened to meet with the character limit. Here is a selection of the full versions of some of my #vss365 poetry, several of which are based around the content of my novel. I hope you will enjoy.


I felt the presence
Of divine breath
As I sat by the waterfall
Dewdrops glistened
On mossy rocks
How I wish I could
Hold you once more
Morning breeze
A distant voice
Whispered aloha 
In my ear
Those who give
Without needing to take
Are the ones
Who always stay near.


Raindrops trickled
Down a frosted window pane
Merging into neon lights
Of the night
Soft and reassuring 
Silently mirroring
The colours of
Her fractured heart
She traced them as
They gently rolled
Leaving smears
With her forefinger
Indelible stains
In the chasms
Of her mind
Unspoken words
Tears that lingered.


Grandma gave me
A silver purse
Full of old pennies
I used to empty them
On a table top
Study each one
Individually
I wondered how many
Before me
Had held them
In their palms
What clothes they wore
What goods they bought
I wished I could see life
Through their eyes.

There was one coin
In particular
Which fascinated me
The head of a young
Queen Victoria
Was faded
But could still be seen
I used to sniff
The worn metal
Try to smell my way
Back in time
The date was
Only visible
When held up
To the light.

My imagination
Turned fiery red
Fingers rubbed at numbers
1861
I wished the coin
Would become
Aladdin’s lamp
So I could step on 
A magic carpet
And fly right back
Through lightning skies
One century
Before I was born.


It was soon to be
Her retirement party
After 30 years
Wearing a grey uniform
The logo on her jackets
Had changed over the years
But the lacklustre colour
Had not.

In Estelle’s boutique
She saw a dress
In a marvellous shade
Of Coral Bells pink
Staring into the mirror
She held in her stomach
Imagined bold jewellery
And matching lipstick.

Perhaps she should change
Her hair colour
Listen to her heart
And the voice within
Age was nothing more
Than a number
Let this new phase
Of her life begin!


She looked at him
With puppy dog eyes
Said she had
Nowhere else to go
It would only be
For a night or two
A month later
She had moved in.
He showered her
With roses every day
Warmed to all
Her dizzy ways
Until a husband
He did not know existed
Appeared on the doorstep
With a suitcase of excuses
Said if there was such a thing
As a tax on the heart
Then he had
Overpaid. 


She sat quietly
By his bedside
Wiping strands
Of hair from
His small
Clammy face
Her long dress
Rippled lemon
Mirroring waves
Of foaming distress
Watching him slip
Into delirium
Erratic heartbeats
Fingers entwined
With visions of
Angels in his head
He slowly closed
His eyes.


Whenever I see sunbeams
Dancing on pale water
I think of unspent moments
All the things I never told you
How did we allow things
To degenerate?
Furtively peeping
Behind a virtual gate
Leaving so much open
To misinterpretation
Secret messaging
Rather than communicating
I never wanted to watch you
From a distance
I can’t do this any more.



Clouds…

Tangible
Yet intangible
My fascination
For you
Is endless
But please
Tell me
How can it be
You float
So gently
Into my life
You fill
My heart
With joy
And hope
You show me 
Colours
Of a different life
You take me
To the cusp
Of ecstasy
Then without
Explanation 
You vanish
Evaporate
Disappear.


I cannot bequeath you
Property or gifts
Nobody in my world
Even knows you exist
They did not see
The letters I wrote
All the tears I cried for you
They did not ride
Lashing waves of pain
On a sea of misty blue
Their world did not move
In slow motion
Behind steamy
Panes of glass
They did not hear you
Calling my name
When twilight skies
Faded charcoal black
You will remain a secret
I take with me to my grave
But as I close my eyes
For the final time 
I vow we will meet again.


A bright pink petunia
Looked down bashfully
Seemingly hiding
Her pretty face
Like she hoped
No one would see
Gingerly I moved closer
Told her to hold
Her head up high
Never be ashamed
Of who you are
Let your beauty
Shine from the inside
She did not
Acknowledge me
But I swore
I heard her say
I am not an introvert
I just don’t like the rain. 


Enlivening the gathering
With a dress and personality
The colour of poppy red
She appeared to be
The same age as me
But nobody knew her name
She swooped and swirled
Ran long fingers through curls
Fluttered eyelashes
At all the men
Then grandpa appeared
With a grin on his face
She took his arm
Turned to father and said
I am soon to be
Your mother-in-law
I hope we can be friends.


Sleepy riverbank
Not another soul in view
Silent distant waves
Roll into hazy blue
Inhaling
Exhaling
Warmth on my face
Recalling the days
When I rushed
From place to place
Never stopping
For a moment
To reflect
Or contemplate
Mind spinning
Endless whirlwind
Of imploding thoughts
Searching for answers
In the face of
A brick wall
A single raindrop lands
Creates a whirlpool
On the beach
Ripples of solitude
Disperse into clarity.

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Thank you once again for reading. Links to my social media channels are as follows:




Thursday 24 August 2023

Summer Songs

As another summer draws to a close and we prepare for the fluttering colours of autumn, I decided to mark the changing seasons with another poetry collection. I am once again delighted to have teamed up with my friend and talented poet Joe Praks. 

Joe and I are both inspired by the wonders of nature. I have woven our poems together to give a different take on a number of themes. Joe's poems are in green and mine in blue. I hope you will enjoy reading.

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Three beauties watching over me
Tiny beauties, so small, so wee
Yet I feel they saved me for real
They did it somehow
They rescued me from myself
Protecting me against my bad self
Allowed me to forget anybody else
Allowed me to clean my mind
Allowed me to forget the pain
Of time.


I watched you pick daisies
From long blades of grass
On buttercup summer days
With childlike dexterity
You painstakingly made
A long floral chain.

You placed it carefully
On my head
Said I looked 
Like a princess
Painted pictures from
Colourful story books
Then crowned me 
With hope and happiness.

Concentration reflected
In soft warm breath
As you touched 
Feather-like petals
Golden wonder in
Your innocent face
A moment captured forever.
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My love is a lonely ship
Sailing a deep sea of my mind
Your smile is my safe harbour
The only anchor that works well
Against the dark undertows
Hidden in my soul
I am but a sailor
Sailing in a sea of
Fast running time
I'm thinking of you
While humming your name
Sailing away.


Every time I see the sea
A brand new love affair starts
We court each other
We flirt for a while
He soothes my aching heart
Surrounded by darkness
I miss him so much
I hear him whisper my name
Until dawn beckons
And I follow the path
To be by his side
Once again.
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Just a beautiful moth
My tender angel of midnight
She's often feared
And misunderstood
She's craving for the Sun
She's not to see
We owe her so much
Apologize we should
She's silent in her dream
When night has borrowed from
A new day its white curtain 
Is she happy?
I'm not certain.


Close your sleepy eyes
Whilst a breeze gently rocks
Your leafy cradle.
<> <> <>


I was promised a rainbow
Yet somehow I've
Ended up with the world
Lost in monochrome
And cold wind with the pouring rain
It's so dark now during the day
As if no Sun has risen at all
I won't raise my head
Nor will I raise my voice
I close my eyes and mind instead
As my dream
Gone mad.


She took a walk
Along the path
Where the river
Meets the sea
Opened the letter
With trembling hands
Wiry writing
An extension of him
A sense of monochrome
Foreboding
As she read the
Opening lines
Dark clouds engulfed
The hazy sun
Like the tears
Blurring her eyes.
<> <> <>


They call me a thistle
Unable of a tender feeling
Or touch
Yet I know my heart is full of love
But I won't tell a word
I hate to show off
But what I feel is real
It means to me so much
They call me a thistle
But it's alright
At least I'm a flower
I hope I don't offend your sight.


Industrious bee
I hear a nectar love song
When you hum to me.
<> <> <>

Another sunset photo
Yet another cliché
I know
It's all been here before
The world needs to
Be reminded over and over again
For each and  every sunset
There's a new sunrise awaiting
Everything must and shall pass
For each and every broken heart
There's a flower blooming
For a new start...


Fusing into one
Silent synchronicity
Souls reunited.
<> <> <>


Sailing away with you
And only you on my mind
From and towards my dream
Holding you near like in my memories
Can't wait to see you
Can't wait to hold you
Can't wait to kiss you
For real.


That delicious
Moment
Of stillness
And calm
Before
Thoughts are
Dominated
By a thunderclap
Of waves
Crashing on
The helpless beach
Curling 
Swirling
Unearthing emotions
Then retreating
Disappearing
Like glistening
Windswept 
Teardrops 
On my cheek.

Thank you as always for taking the time to read. Please do feel free to share with others using the buttons below. 

If you would like to read more of Joe’s work he posts regularly on Twitter and  Instagram


Links to my social media channels are as follows: