The Budgie’s Swan Song May 23, 2010

I heard the crash,

the muffled cries.

I took the stairs in threes.

Too late, too late,

I saw him go.

I watched him fade to nothing.

A shrinking kamikaze speck,

an open window,

one-way flight,

a final snatch at liberty.

He must have known,

he must have felt

the iced air’s frozen daggers.

He would have seen the twinkling cloak

of death glint on the branches.

And still his greying feathers sought

the freedom of the skyway.

No more would bars contain his soul,

or cage confine horizons.

So, as I drew the children near

to comfort those who’d set him free;

to kiss away the rolling tears

and still the trembling lips,

I knew that as he met his doom,

a windswept winter’s grave,

he’d not regret a thing.

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Paul Hughes 2010

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N.B. A “swan song” is a final act before death. It comes from the idea that swans, who don’t make a lot of noise, sing a most beautiful song just before they die. So, a swan song is usually some great, final act of creativity, some dramatic last act. Anyway, whilst I love writing verse, I need to diversify, become more flexible. Here’s my first effort, for a while, at unrhyming poetry for children – “free verse.”. Does it work?

Arion Ater Agg: The Black Slug May 22, 2010

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Twenty-seven thousand teeth,

no shell above but slime beneath,

their appetite’s beyond belief,

they eat their weight each day.

And if you grow azaleas

or try your hand at dahlias,

you’ll soon grow used to failure,

they’ll munch your blooms away.

It doesn’t matter what you do,

they’ll always get one up on you.

They’ll crunch on leaves the whole night through

and strip your garden bare.

And even if you spent the night

with salt and spade, prepared to fight,

they’ll wipe the floor with you, alright,

you haven’t got a prayer.

Don’t be upset, don’t look folorn,

abandon beds and plant a lawn;

you’ll never have to dread the dawn,

for slugs don’t dine on grass.

They’ll soon give up and move next door.

Though mowing lawns can be a bore,

you’ll stay slug-free, forever more,

and sleep, in peace, at last.

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Paul Hughes 2010

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photo: http://pensbyetal.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

Lichen May 22, 2010

Lichen bears the sun

asks for little, sleeps on rock

simple life, lived long.

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Paul Hughes 2010

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Feel cheated? Did you see that a new poem had been posted, only to find this haiku here? Well, we all have to try something new and different at some stage. Poets can’t live by verse alone. Why lichen? Well, if people want poems about lichen, that’s what I’ll try to write.  Let’s hope it gets in…

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photo from: http://schmidling.com/lichen.htm

My Darling Miss Moth May 10, 2010

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Moonflower wine is divine but quite strong
so don’t whine you’re feeling hung-over.
Every night you take flight by the light of
the stars but feel ill when it’s over.
The hours you keep, your refusal to sleep
makes you weak with exhaustion by day.
And this is why you didn’t make it to queue
on the day God gave colours away.
The butterflies, flowers and guppies were first
and God slapped on gallons of paint;
before he was finished his paint stocks diminished
he had to display some restraint.
By twenty to one all the colours had gone.
He only had black, white and brown
and this is when you, zebra, panda and gnu
came rushing, still yawning, to town.
There’s no need for tears even though it appears
that your colours are muffled and muted.
Your subtle display may seem dull in the day
but to moonlight it’s perfectly suited.
Queen of the night, what a dusky delight,
the stars blink in awe at your beauty.
Silvery, feathery, shimmering, heavenly,
moon-kissed and cloth-chomping cutie!
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Paul Hughes 2010

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Picture: http://www.thedarktower.com/gallery/data/534/BH_web-NIght_Moth.jpg

Fly or Fry! May 9, 2010

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Fly!

Billy Butterfly had better fly,

for spiders like a bit of fly

and here’s a spider coming by.

That butterfly had better fly

for spiders fry a battered fly.

And if the spider

gets to bite

the butt of Billy Butterfly

the butterfly which wouldn’t fly

should not become a bitter fly.

For better flies than bitter flies,

than battered bitten bottom flies,

would not dispute their fate

but fry

!

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Paul Hughes 2010

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Picture: http://www.wildchicken.com/nature/garden/wild008_spiders.htm

Peculiar events! May 1, 2010

Hello there

One of the great things about having a blog is that people begin to contact you from around the world. Reading your comments and responding to your questions has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this journey.

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There have been visits from a good number of established children’s poets. That has been lovely, It’s fantastic to attract positive attention and I’m grateful for all the support I have received from those who have already walked the lonely road from obscurity to success. I’m hot on your heels, guys! Haha! I hope to be, anyway…

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Even better, however, has been the attention I have received from two (to date) incredibly creative souls.

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First came Pat Chupa, all the way from the other side of the US of A, who produces some beautiful hand made books. She made a book featuring my poem “Escargot No!” Here’s a picture of the front cover. it’s beautiful and has pride of place on my bookshelves. Thanks Pat!

You can see some more of her work at http://artistbooks.ning.com/profile/PatriciaChupa .

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And then came Drew Danielson. Again, another American from Pensylvania.  He contacted me a while ago to say that he was beginning to put some of my poems to music.  I was a little distracted at work at the time and thought little of it until I received the MP3 files by e-mail. I think you’ll agree that his musical interpretations of my poems are fantastic.

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So, this is a quick post. I just wanted to thank those of you who make me smile with your contributions to this blog.

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Here are the MP3 files Drew has sent me. I’ll place them in the poem posts too.

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ESCARGOT_NO

JOSEY WHALE

HARRY THE HALIBUT

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Thanks to both Pat and Drew!

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Paul xx