Poetry

Once upon a time, I founded an online writer’s collective called ‘The Final Carrot’. Here’s some of the poetry that I wrote then, often as entries to the writing assignments.

Finding Your Eyes - As I diligently try to get my arms around 45 years’ worth of my poetry in readiness for publishing my ‘Love & Loss’ collection, I come across long-forgotten poems that seem to be screaming, “Pick me!” This is one of those poems. I don’t remember when I wrote it, but I have a feeling that it wasn’t based on any one specific personal experience. Always a voracious reader and avid movie fan, the romantic in me would often be hooked by the turn of a phrase or a specific scene, and I’d want to take it and make it my...
UNSPOKEN NO MORE - At the weekend, I was among a large group that came together to celebrate the life of a close friend who passed ten years ago. I’d first met Ian when we were both 18, and we were both freshly-minted students at Wolverhampton Polytechnic. He was one of those people that fully embraced his quirkiness, and we all loved him for it. Yesterday, I spent much of the day reflecting on the weekend, and this poem decided to make an appearance. While it was always clear just how much we all loved each other, the actual words would go unspoken. That...
RECLAMATION - Last week, four months of hard work came to life with Camp Sacred City, a “magical place co-created by humans freely sharing their authentic gifts” taking place at Wonderfield Farm & Retreat in Floral City, Florida. For the almost two hundred people who heeded the call, it truly was a magical experience, and reinforced what a community is capable of, once we’ve set our minds to something. RECLAMATION Breathing in nature’s calming sighExhaling expectationsReleasing inhibitions and self-doubtsInhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale…Reconnecting to ancient rhythms withinRemembering who we truly areReturning home to Gaia’s embrace Feet firmly planted on sacred soilWe relinquish controlShedding...
close up shot of letter tiles SILENT NO MORE - I wrote this poem about a month ago, but decided to hold off on posting it until International Women’s Day, which is today (March 8th, 2023). I wrote it at the encouragement of my dear friend Sharon Hake, as a submission for an upcoming book from Great Dames, which is the nonprofit organization that she co-founded with her daughter, and where I serve on the Board. Great Dames is a dynamic, diverse community of women who are connected, empowered and inspired to create the impact they desire. In seeking submissions for the book, Great Dames were invited to share their...
LOVE & LOSS - I’m now in the home straights of finalizing ‘Love & Loss’, which is a collection of my poetry that will be out early in the New Year. It’s been a very cathartic process to revisit and curate almost half a century’s worth of my writing. Along the way, I’ve learned a lot about myself; about the paths that I’ve followed along the way, about where I am today, and what I want to do next. In introducing the title track ‘Love & Loss’, I’d like to share an excerpt from the book’s introduction: “My mother died when I was 17,...
woman holding a sign at a protest TRIGGER - I was feeling very tender when I woke up this morning. Today would have been my late brother’s 73rd birthday, and so I took some time to think about him, and about the part that he played in my childhood. He was the first person in my family to go to University, and it was only as an adult that I started to understand how difficult that must have been, and how he’d made it so much easier for my brother John and myself. Later, I decided to walk a few blocks and seek out my friends who were chalking...
baby legs next to toy building blocks BABY STEPS - Since moving to Saint Petersburg, my spiritual journey has been on a tear. With hindsight, I can see that I’ve been ready for this for a few years. I just needed to plant myself within a fertile environment, and the rest would take care of itself. In my first couple of weeks of being here, I bought the domain name slightlywoowoo.com, thinking that it would be fun to document my growing awareness and acceptance of all things ‘woo-woo’. Before I had chance to think about setting up the blog, I found that I was going so far beyond the slightly...
Hasta Siempre - This is a poem that I wrote a couple of months ago, as I prepared to relocate to Saint Petersburg. I’m sharing it now, with the blessing of the person that I wrote it for, and as my way of celebrating International Friendship Day, which is tomorrow (July 30th). The genesis of this poem comes from a fundraising idea I had for a non-profit, where I serve on the Board. Great Dames was co-founded in 2009 by my good friend Sharon Kelly Hake, and her daughter Heather Cassey. I’ve been involved from day one, and it is an organization that...
person stands on brown pathway Open - Since I started to think about relocating to Florida last fall, I haven’t really been writing much poetry. Getting my house ready to put on the market, and working to simplify my life and skinny down my worldly belongings took a lot more bandwidth than I anticipated. It’s only now that I realize just how much I was sheltered through multiple corporate relocations. I’ve been in Florida for four weeks now, and last weekend, I was finally reunited with my belongings (my tale of scammy moving companies holding my stuff hostage will have to wait for another day), and Saint...
(Not So) Furtive Fumbling - It’s funny sometimes, the memories that our minds decide to dredge up. Sometimes, there is a clear link between what you’ve just been thinking about, a memory that you’ve been searching for, and what then pops into your head. At other times, there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why your mind has decided to hit replay on a particular event or time in your life. This poem is based on one of those memories that bubbled up from nowhere, surprising me with the level of contextual information that bubbled up with it. Looking back, I can...