older varied short poems

LIFEBOAT

A drifting wooden lifeboat flows with the current

under a sun drenched sky. Cast away from stricken

sinking fishing vessel, this old boat has nowhere to go.

No crew, all perished and went to the bottom losing

their precious lives. No one knows why, it seems to be

an act of God but He was kind and spared this ancient

wooden boats’ life. She has peeling paint and her name

is Marie: she is lost on an ocean doomed

to float away forever more.

SHORT BREAK

Here now, stop and look at our speeding lives that don’t seem to stop!

We’ll go for a break to a different town that is strangely familiar

with quiet pubs and narrow sprawling streets.

This town could be any in England except the one called Oldham

which is grimy and so very boring.

Time stops here as we drink beer straight

from the barrel having a laugh on our short break away.

CHOKE POINT

Our roads are at choke point

as traffic descends into gridlock chaos.

Cars, lorries, buses and vans

all bumper to bumper in a traffic

jam ten miles long. This is a vision

of the technological world

in which we live where both man

and machine grind to a halt.

ISLAND

This small island sits just offshore in warm shallow water.

Formed by age-old coral which is as old as time, a small oasis.

Many types of life flourish here from bright birds of paradise

to long deadly sea snakes. On this timeless place nature rules

her own little world where man never ventures

for a sea mist always hides this small place,

never seen twice, an optical illusion.

LET’S GO FISHING

We set out early when the air was cool to go fishing.

Deep within the forest at a river tributary lies

a remote stretch of water. A few hours later

our catch is impressive. I turn my back to eat my lunch

and I hear a scream. An alligator has snatched

my friend with its terrible death grip—

there’s nothing I can do but stare in horror

at the scene before me. Will I be next?

I wish I had my hunting rifle…

FIRE

Fire is so beautiful in its own deadly way.

A diverse visual cacophony of colours

all thrown together, each a different

element back in its base gas. Chemical release.

Thick dense smoke curls upwards,

forming a choking cloud which glows

blood red from the wicked flames.

BURIED ALIVE

I ask God to help me but he isn’t listening.

I’ve been buried alive six feet below ground.

My death will be agonising as I start to suffocate.

How did I get here in this terrible place?

Slowly I remember now, what I did.

I faked my own death to escape from prison

but they didn’t release me. So here I remain

running out of air going slowly insane

dying before my time.