Author Archives: grahamswords1962

For Nigel, his wife and children His green, unfocussed eyes drift aimlessly in search of a fixed horizon. Imperceptibly, lukewarm beige tea eases effortlessly down the parched cascade landscape of his throat. Slow motion eyelid shutters close then open, close then open, like a malfunctioning shop front at the end of the working day. TheContinue reading “Bean Abacus”

You slipped in like a thief in the night, undercover of so much darkness,Unseen, unheard, unknown you brought even more darkness with you.Long lasting, perpetual darkness was your perfume,Your gifted lingering presence hung in lounge, ward, and bedroom. Like a silent pickpocket you slithered through the crowd,With the deftest of fingered touches, you chose andContinue reading “Thief in the night”

Tell me please, what did they see? Those big boys in big phallic toys, So far up there, where the lack of air, Is filled with fumes from their rocket plumes, What did they see? They travelled for many miles, to see our earth, o so fragile, To view the sprawling human race, for twentyContinue reading “What did they see?”

For Elizabeth and her persistence against procrastination In the distance, a haze-bound bridesmaid comes into view, skipping in zig zag fashion scattering petals here and there, illuminating the path with fragrant, brightly coloured promises of what is to come. The sprinkled tints, hints and hues flow through Spring sown green and yellow, until the riverContinue reading “Sancerre to Bordeaux”

Explain to me please – the point of a tigers’ footprints in the snow. Deep impressions in the impermanence. If only existence was different to the transience of shadows in frozen water. Though we try to assume the might of doomed dinosaurs and leave our mark in clay or sand or mud, time will eraseContinue reading “Tiger prints”

From above the opaque plastic mask that oozed oxygen into her lungs, two bowl-shaped brown eyes rolled slowly in my direction, and they smiled at me. From beneath the standard issue, tissue-paper-thin, patterned gown that posed as a protector to her dignity, a slender, tired hand gently rose, and it waved at me. From acrossContinue reading “A moment in time”

Deep in the Dales, a church bell rings in time and rhyme with a clanging breakfast chime. A bobbing Robin dips and chips, ignoring the tooing and froing cows there lowing. Creaking kettles announce their being, whistles call in response to a Dove’s soft cooing. Tractors churn and turn, ploughing cloud furrows for silent SwallowsContinue reading “Bells and whistles”

For Afghanistan Soft is the grass on which the blooming, billowing morning sunlight lands. Stage lit and starstruck are its innumerable, dew guilted strands. A luscious morning feed, on which mountain muscled bulls feast with greed. Bordered and fenced, territorially stamped that others may heed, The sign which declares, this field is theirs, enter ifContinue reading “Green grows the grass”

17 July 2021 Dawn broke to a cushioned hush as if those last held breaths were cotton wool crushed – and preserved, and saved, and held, like one too many goals. Somewhere, between the walking of those lasts silent steps and the breaking of dawn, the bunting had been taken down, without a sound. Windows,Continue reading “One of them”

For Fathers’ Day Through my mind’s eye, the one that cannot, will not cry, I can still see the fine, life worn, war torn lines in your face. Each and every crack, a river flowing with untold pain. Silent slivers and creeks, scarred like wind dried, ice split cheeks, Inlets flowing not out, they noContinue reading “Dinner Plate”