Day: June 4, 2024

A smile played long

A smile played long upon her face

As I held her in close embrace.

There was no bed on which to lie

Nor yet  a bed on which to die

A little death, a little grace.

I could not stare enough to feast

My wanton eyes upon her breast.

My hands tormented me with lust

As they played  and on her fussed.

A smile played long.

And so it was, we made our bed

And at our table friends were fed.

She sang and murmured like a bird.

And I was hypnotized by words

A smile played long

‘I’m a CBE, I’m poet laureate so I’m clearly not a republican am I?’: Simon Armitage on his radical roots and rock star dreams | Simon Armitage | The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/apr/08/simon-armitage-poet-laureate-radical-roots-rock-star-dreams

Writing makes me breathe differently

Sometimes writing makes me breathe differently.
I can feel the silence settle around me,
Like a prayer shawl.
i accept it gratefully.
There’s a thin feeling to the day
As if the sun might have tried harder
to come through
But it had a blue feeling
And the clouds were greedy,
Wanting too much to melt
And shed their moisture.
Some perfume please.I think it was £27.99
Yes,I like that one even more than jasmine oil.
Pour it down over London
Like a blessing.
A black woman laughed and patted my arm,
You’re so funny, she cried.
And I smiled coyly
As if someone hidden was taking my photograph.
Sometimes life’s too sweet
And needs a little pepper.
The chair creaks as I lean forward
Trying to see everything at once
As if it all happened now, not yesterday.