Wingless

To cycle under waterfalls
Is not as hard maybe
As chasing after rainbow’s gold
Or paddling in a tree;

Enjoying picnics in the snow,
With icicles for sweet,
And icy buns and mint ice cream,
Some lollies laid out neat,

Or flying kites on summer days,
When there’s no hope of flight,
Sunbathing on the lawn at dusk
With bats and things that bite.

But all of this is mad, you know,
Some crazy schemes to try,
We walk on water in our dreams
And have no wings to fly.

To be published in Krax

Three Blind Men Describe an Elephant

It’s very hard and smooth and long like time.
It curves towards the sky; its point is fierce.

It must be like a bird with leather wings.
When I touch this it flaps ready for flight.

No, no, this is a tree, well-rooted, strong.
Its bark is hairy, rough like man’s justice.

Published in ‘Masala’ (MacmillanChildren’s Books, 2005, Ed. Debjani Chatterjee)

Deer

Like frail people walking on ice
they place their feet just so and so,
afraid of making any noise
or drawing attention to themselves.

Their camouflage of earthy brown
is summer-spotted with sunlight,
invisible in shady woods.

They walk at dusk through dusty ferns,
through oak and beech of memory,
their ears antennae always on.

The gentle heads of hunted folk,
eyes anxious, heading down to water.

The Firework Dog

For Caroline Jones

While other dogs retired in fear
on each Guy Fawkes, that once a year
brings terror to pets everywhere,
one William would leave his lair
and throw himself into the fray;
for he loved fireworks any day.

The bangs and screams of bonfire night,
to him a very pretty sight,
touched something in his heart and soul,
he didn’t shrink, or cringe or howl
but watched the rockets riding high
and tried to catch what fell from the sky.

The celestial sparks of human joy
were truly heaven to this boy;
he’d frame them all in rainbow eyes,
a favourite dog, and no surprise,
a Cavalier, daft as a brush,
could not endure much earthly hush.

And now he’s yapped his last down here
he’s gone to give his final cheer,
the canine constellations home,
and still he likes to race and roam;
these days he chases meteors
and comets through the twinkling stars.