"Look everybody, it's snowing!"
Everyone turned and looked round
And a solitary flake
Nature's mistake
Made its lonely, cold way to the ground
©cih17, 22:07, 30.11.17
starcline - less a blog, more a derailed train of thought
About Me
- clinestar
- Part time poet, full time librarian, student of the delights of milk chocolate. Likes books, milk, paddling, poetry, scribbling, chocolate, notebooks, sea, piers. Not necessarily in that order. All work copyright cih.
You see what you expect
He was there
Every year
Without fail
Wouldn't let his "little ones" down
His grin the red daub of a crayon
His face the white mask of a clown
No-one questioned
When he smiled
So tenderly
Why his "little ones"
Endured years of therapy
©cih17, 23:25, 29.11.17
Every year
Without fail
Wouldn't let his "little ones" down
His grin the red daub of a crayon
His face the white mask of a clown
No-one questioned
When he smiled
So tenderly
Why his "little ones"
Endured years of therapy
©cih17, 23:25, 29.11.17
The Hollow
There was an emptiness today
Not because you weren't there
But because you were
And I no longer feel that way
©cih17, 22:25, 28.11.17
Not because you weren't there
But because you were
And I no longer feel that way
©cih17, 22:25, 28.11.17
London day air*
Pigeons walk
People talk
on mobiles
Voices raised
Commuters scurry
In permanent hurry
Seemingly perpetually dazed
©cih17, 22:03, 27.11.17
*(nod to Londonderry Air)
People talk
on mobiles
Voices raised
Commuters scurry
In permanent hurry
Seemingly perpetually dazed
©cih17, 22:03, 27.11.17
*(nod to Londonderry Air)
Tablet
Small rectangle by the bed
Waiting, with the glass
Ready for that moment
When insomnia is too much
The body in the bed
shifts, changes position
An arm reaches out
Grabs for that comfort
The screen blinks on
©cih17, 25.11.17
Waiting, with the glass
Ready for that moment
When insomnia is too much
The body in the bed
shifts, changes position
An arm reaches out
Grabs for that comfort
The screen blinks on
©cih17, 25.11.17
Preparation is key
Bronzed, toned, and buffed within an inch of perfection
She'd waited months for her moment of certain success
Dieted, exercised herself trimmer and slimmer
Just to fit in that Little Black Dress
©cih17, 21:19, 24.11.17
She'd waited months for her moment of certain success
Dieted, exercised herself trimmer and slimmer
Just to fit in that Little Black Dress
©cih17, 21:19, 24.11.17
Cycle of life
Lights blot out the darkness
and silence never comes
The noise of a town
That never shuts down
The peace of the country
A town starts to encroach
The building site harvest
is constant reproach
©cih17, 23:15, 23.11.17
and silence never comes
The noise of a town
That never shuts down
The peace of the country
A town starts to encroach
The building site harvest
is constant reproach
©cih17, 23:15, 23.11.17
Ouch
My recommendation for the day
Advice you should follow without fail
Don't violently kick the end of your bed
If you don't want to break your toenail
©cih17, 22:32, 23.11.17
Advice you should follow without fail
Don't violently kick the end of your bed
If you don't want to break your toenail
©cih17, 22:32, 23.11.17
Tinsel
The time for excitement is well underway
Shops dazzling with tinsel and a well planned display
Each vying to get you to break out the plastic
Spend, spend spend!
You buy, buy, buy
Then have to get a loan until next payday
©cih17, 22:19, 22.11.17
Shops dazzling with tinsel and a well planned display
Each vying to get you to break out the plastic
Spend, spend spend!
You buy, buy, buy
Then have to get a loan until next payday
©cih17, 22:19, 22.11.17
Single man seeks purrfection
The more dates I've been on
(Over a number of years)
I've discovered this scintillating fact
An increasing number of (sane?) single men
Are the doting owners of a cat
In retrospect
I could be wrong
The cats
have been in charge
all along
©cih17, 22:03, 21.11.17
(Over a number of years)
I've discovered this scintillating fact
An increasing number of (sane?) single men
Are the doting owners of a cat
In retrospect
I could be wrong
The cats
have been in charge
all along
©cih17, 22:03, 21.11.17
Retro clubnight
Noise entrances
Drunken dances
Clutching glasses
Groping asses
©cih17, 21:32, 19.11.17
Drunken dances
Clutching glasses
Groping asses
©cih17, 21:32, 19.11.17
Cold morning
Icy feet make hesitant contact
with more frigid air
Refrigerator room temperature
©cih17, 19.11.17
with more frigid air
Refrigerator room temperature
©cih17, 19.11.17
Antisocial media
Perfectly poised pictures posted
Reconfigured rough reality
A jigsaw life
Assembled for social media
Using filters
Until you look (feel?) better
©cih17, 16:49, 18.11.17
Reconfigured rough reality
A jigsaw life
Assembled for social media
Using filters
Until you look (feel?) better
©cih17, 16:49, 18.11.17
Journey to the (celluloid) stars
Hyped to within an inch of its celluloid
Life
You wait with anticipation.
Actors emote -
and yet, in the cinema,
Popcorn spattered,
You sit there
Remote
Not adrift in the fantasy world
But aware
of the booming soundtrack
Your vision restricted
and you turn round and glare
at the owner
of the knee
In your seat's back
©cih17, 22:58, 17.11.17
Life
You wait with anticipation.
Actors emote -
and yet, in the cinema,
Popcorn spattered,
You sit there
Remote
Not adrift in the fantasy world
But aware
of the booming soundtrack
Your vision restricted
and you turn round and glare
at the owner
of the knee
In your seat's back
©cih17, 22:58, 17.11.17
Service with a snarl
Yes the restaurant may be busy
and you've been on your feet all day
But the customer wants some food
Wants to order, eat, and pay
©cih17, 16.11.17
and you've been on your feet all day
But the customer wants some food
Wants to order, eat, and pay
©cih17, 16.11.17
[Insert name of pop star here]
The piercing shriek pains me
and I flinch, look round
and see pre-teen smiles on brace-ridden teeth.
I think, not for the first time,
I'm too old for this.
I stand and watch today's popstar crush
Strutting his less than manly stuff
and try to ignore the cries of woe
When I announce to young gig goers
It's time for us to go
©cih17, 23:56, 15.11.17
and I flinch, look round
and see pre-teen smiles on brace-ridden teeth.
I think, not for the first time,
I'm too old for this.
I stand and watch today's popstar crush
Strutting his less than manly stuff
and try to ignore the cries of woe
When I announce to young gig goers
It's time for us to go
©cih17, 23:56, 15.11.17
Ignorant
I got the message
In gossip whispers
Understood
What you wouldn't say
©cih17, 10:38, 14.11.17
In gossip whispers
Understood
What you wouldn't say
©cih17, 10:38, 14.11.17
School dates
Kiss chase was a game for school days
(Not somewhere I want to return)
But in these days of Tinder and dating apps
Maybe there's something there
That we could learn
©cih17, 13.11.17
(Not somewhere I want to return)
But in these days of Tinder and dating apps
Maybe there's something there
That we could learn
©cih17, 13.11.17
Mind the gap
Maybe caring for others will fill the space
Once reserved for a partner's face
©cih17, 12.11.17
Once reserved for a partner's face
©cih17, 12.11.17
Remembrance
The poppies dance
Over fields once bathed in blood
Drowned in mud
The poppies dance
The poppies dance
Where once was battle's violence
Birdsong, silence
The poppies dance
©cih17, 23:10, 11.11.17
Over fields once bathed in blood
Drowned in mud
The poppies dance
The poppies dance
Where once was battle's violence
Birdsong, silence
The poppies dance
©cih17, 23:10, 11.11.17
Seasonal song
All the signs of November are here
Christmas lights in the Market Square
Tinsel garlands, baubles in the mall
and coffee chains selling gingerbread latte
But still, it's not yet
"the most wonderful time of the year"
©cih17, 10.11.17
(quotation by Eddie Pola and George Wyle)
Christmas lights in the Market Square
Tinsel garlands, baubles in the mall
and coffee chains selling gingerbread latte
But still, it's not yet
"the most wonderful time of the year"
©cih17, 10.11.17
(quotation by Eddie Pola and George Wyle)
Mermaid music
The dreams threatened to drag her under
Hooked her on a tight nylon thread
of things that could be and should be
Ideas that swam round in her head
Indecisive, she watched them glide round her
Made no attempt to grab on to a thought
And as her alarm's siren call started wailing
Once again mundane Monday had her caught.
©cih17, 22:15, 08.11.17
Hooked her on a tight nylon thread
of things that could be and should be
Ideas that swam round in her head
Indecisive, she watched them glide round her
Made no attempt to grab on to a thought
And as her alarm's siren call started wailing
Once again mundane Monday had her caught.
©cih17, 22:15, 08.11.17
Too soon
The machine bleeps and beeps, uncaring
As you lie there, sleeping still
You look tiny, ethereal, fragile
Clinging on to your life by sheer will
©cih17, 23:08, 07.11.17
As you lie there, sleeping still
You look tiny, ethereal, fragile
Clinging on to your life by sheer will
©cih17, 23:08, 07.11.17
Ice, ice, baby*
Wearing socks in bed
Is neither romantic
Nor aesthetically pleasing
But it's more pleasant for your partner
When your feet are notoriously freezing
©cih17, 05.11.2017
*(thanks to Vanilla Ice who probably wasn't thinking about this in his song)
Is neither romantic
Nor aesthetically pleasing
But it's more pleasant for your partner
When your feet are notoriously freezing
©cih17, 05.11.2017
*(thanks to Vanilla Ice who probably wasn't thinking about this in his song)
Ratio
People pay a pittance for a paper poppy while warlords waste their wealth on weapons
©cih17, 22:05, 04.11.17
©cih17, 22:05, 04.11.17
Housebuying
You gave up the semblance of a kind of a social life
Hoarded life savings
and..
wait
Yet you only achieve
a part/part share of a shoebox
and a mortgage you can't pay off
until you reincarnate
©cih17, 23:14, 02.11.17
Hoarded life savings
and..
wait
Yet you only achieve
a part/part share of a shoebox
and a mortgage you can't pay off
until you reincarnate
©cih17, 23:14, 02.11.17
The Language of Flowers
Anxiety writ large on her face
As time ticked away at the bar
No sign of her dinner date
Traffic jam? Caught at work?
Simply late?
She'd waited alone for two hours
When he turned up, bearing sad garage flowers
Postscript
She didn't listen to his explanations
Just asked for water for the wilting carnations
©cih17, 01.11.17
As time ticked away at the bar
No sign of her dinner date
Traffic jam? Caught at work?
Simply late?
She'd waited alone for two hours
When he turned up, bearing sad garage flowers
Postscript
She didn't listen to his explanations
Just asked for water for the wilting carnations
©cih17, 01.11.17
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