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You say the world is beautiful
you say the world is sad
And all I have to add
is that it can be
so much more than that
but you must let it in…

You won’t walk on the beach
you say the sand will soil your soles
The lapping waves
like slathering tongues
will only taste you
and you won’t let it in…

O, won’t you come and see
the seasons with me
Won’t you come and see
this world of seasons
with me

Your song goes on and on
but it’s a world so sadly sung
As I step out into the sun
you see me leave without a coat
you crease your eyes
tarnishing your words with indignation

‘What if it rains’ you cry
and I pause and I sigh
then I turn and I smile
“If it rains, I’ll get wet
I’ll feel its song against my skin
and I’ll welcome that feeling in…

O, won’t you come and see
the seasons with me
Won’t you come and see
this world of seasons
with me…”

[2022]

Thanks for reading.

https://linktr.ee/tomalexwrite

Kiss me, sweet, sickly kisses
kisses of love, longing
and goodbye
One last flirt, one last fling
wish me the best
of what the future brings…

One last ‘always love you’
one throw-away promise
then turn around
and never look back
we’ll never look back

Hold me, safe, tightly hold me
embrace in fear, sadness and regret
One last touch, one final tear
wish me safety
on this long journey
one more ‘never forget you’
one disposable promise
then turn around
and never look back
we’ll never look back at this

Then softly and eternally
wave me gone
let my hand slip out of yours
and wave me on

Never touch, never talk, never kiss…
and never hold
just wave me gone
watch my hand slip out of yours
and wave me on

You kissed me…
you kissed me, sweet, sickly
you kissed me goodbye
and you held me…
you held me, safe, tightly
you held me in this regret
now turn around
and look back…

O, I know you’ll look back…

(2003)

Thanks for reading this very old poem. In 2003 I seemed to be going through a rude awakening that I was no longer a child and this is one of many poems I wrote at the time where I was saying goodbye to childhood.

You’ve got me in your pen spell
Greedily drinking ink
anything you spill
every drop
from that incisive quill

Don’t stop, don’t cease
those expertly crafted lines
cut and kiss, in equal measure
Such finely tuned pressure
brings such pain and pleasure

I crave another lick, another hit
I want to taste them on my tongue
Reading between
I see through
all those lines lead me to you

Days have passed
but that turn of phrase;
those words still dance
tattooed up and down
the spine of all my thoughts

You’ve got me in your pen spell
I don’t want to move
or break from this
I’m left crying, sometimes smiling
a catharsis so welcome
and addictive

You talk of the bitter things
the seamier side of life
all telegraphed without judgement
your compassion
is such a rush

Strip me
write directly on my naked body
smudge me with your fingerprints
cover every inch of me
in your masterful calligraphy…

[2022]

Note: I wrote this one in a single draft in August, when I was trying to write a poem each day for the month. Afterwards, I wondered where it came from, but I’ve since realised I was more than likely a bit inspired by the pen-aphile poems of Bree Leto, who writes as SecretThoughtsWithin. While my poem is not about those poems, they must have been lurking at the back of my mind: e.g. Your Pen Is My Desire. So, do check them out!

Thanks for reading.

Last week, I was lucky enough to be interviewed about my poetry collection One of These Years for AllFM. The interview went out over the weekend and you can listen below.

We talked about the power of poetry, the benefits of writing during lockdown, poetry as free therapy and the influence of music on my writing. With a sprinkling of songs and poetry readings too.

Enjoy 🙂

Thanks for listening!

& thanks to Ruth O’Reilly at AllFM for getting in touch.

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