Patricia M Osborne

L – Longer Days 

Longer Days was inspired by a spring prompt. It was first published in Brian Wrixon’s Poets with Voices Strong – Spring Poetry.

 

Longer Days

Longer days, shorter nights,
pastel colours sprout,
warmer sun, lighter wind,
children play and sing,
birds hum out loud.

Men on mountain bikes,
tots on tricycles,
spin fast,
speed on dust,
riders hold on tight.

Frogs seek out ponds,
safe home for birth,
mounting males drone,
females quiver,
too early to spawn.

Ducks dip,
ripple water.
Golden reeds of canary
grass blow sweet
scent with the wind.

 

L – Letter Poem

A poem written in the form of a letter

L – Light Verse

Light verse is poetry that entertains and tends to make the reader laugh. It includes the limerick.

 

 

 

 

K – Kleptomaniac Doctor

Kleptomaniac Doctor was inspired by an exercise prompt on my first creative writing course with the Open University.

Kleptomaniac Doctor

A registrar skulks into the ward,
his eyes sweep the area for a high-class reward.

Something bleeps on the locker to his right,
big buttons with large numbers bellow bright–

‘Aha,’ he bleats, ‘an old man’s phone,
how I’d like that as my own.’

His pocket itches for this prize,
he slides the new gem deep inside.

He empties his plunder at the end of duty–
…posse of phones, cuddly cutie,

pens, coasters, a tailor’s tape measure,
wristwatches, and his greatest treasure,

savoured for later when his shift is done,
a sticky but stale, piggy-pink iced bun.

K – Kyrielle

Kyrielle pronounced keer-ee-él is a French form with a four line stanza. Each line uses eight syllables and the fourth line is a refrain – chorus like. (John Drury, The Poetry Dictionary)

 

J – Jersey Cow

Inspiration was derived for this poem when on a placement as Poet in Residence, at a local Victorian park, after three wooden sculptured cows were erected in the park.

 

Jersey Cow 

Deep, dark eyes,
matching black nose
unable to smell,

no true mouth to chew
the grass beneath her hooves,

houses a heart
in her tanned timber body,
from Petworth’s 180-year-old oak tree.

 

J – Journey

When you begin a poem you begin a journey.

I love it when I start a new poem and begin my journey. It’s through this process that I watch my poems spring into life. The first draft acts as a frame and from here surplus words get eliminated and imagery added so the reader sees what I  see. Quite often some stanzas may be taken out completely and sometimes I may spend hours just trying to get one word right.

 

 

 

I – Ichthyostega 

Ichthostega was inspired when completing an April poetry challenge around five years ago.
This is how an ichthyostega looks today

Ichthyostega

Three foot long with a backbone too,
I’m a cross between a croc and a fish.

My doggy-like limbs move with ease
as I stir stealthily on the ground,

I slither into a stream to hide,
so the sun doesn’t dry my skin,

googly eyes bulge from my triangular head,
my pectoral fins scramble up trees.

I’m the first tetrapod to creep on land –
Named Mudskipper—for this is what I do.

 

I – Imagery

Imagery is something I like to use in my poetry. Hilda Doolittle was an imagist and my aim is to become known as an ‘imagist’ too.

 

H – How to give birth to an Alien 

How to give birth to an Alien is a poem that I wrote from a prompt  to write about ‘birth’ and ‘alien’ and this is what I came up with. This was written in 2011. How to give birth to an Alien was first published in Ink Pantry’s Field of Words and later, on OAPSchat.com

How to give birth to an alien
Start with the species, what is desired?
Think. Are tentacles, legs and heads required?

What about shape, square, blobby or round?
Seek, search, discover, selections found.

The grey scrawny male with bright black slit eyes
or the white winged torso that’s dressed in disguise.

The green blob of jelly out for a jog
or the red skinned sly serpent afraid of the fog?

Duck sparkling stars whilst riding dark skies,
set down on the world, take caution, be wise.

Befriend beastly species, set seduction in play,
beguile and bewitch, to get your own way.

Mission accomplished, return home to earth,
linger nine months for the alien’s birth.

You have your agenda and know what to do…
‘How to give birth to an alien?’ …I haven’t a clue.

What about shape, square, blobby or round?
Seek, search, discover, selections found.

The grey scrawny male with bright black slit eyes
or the white winged torso that’s dressed in disguise.

The green blob of jelly out for a jog
or the red skinned sly serpent afraid of the fog?

Duck sparkling stars whilst riding dark skies,
set down on the world, take caution, be wise.

Befriend beastly species, set seduction in play,
beguile and bewitch, to get your own way.

Mission accomplished, return home to earth,
linger nine months for the alien’s birth.

You have your agenda and know what to do…
‘How to give birth to an alien?’ …I haven’t a clue.

 

G – Grandad’s Garden 

Grandad’s Garden was my winning poem in the student category with Brighton and Hove Arts Council in 2017. Grandad’s Garden was published on the BHAC website and later on OAPSchat website.

 

Grandad’s Garden

I turn the cone upside down,
it changes to a flower,
like the dahlias
in Grandad’s garden
where creepy earwigs
hide inside.

I paint my pinecone fiery orange,
use a green-striped straw for the stem,

wrap it in mistletoe paper,
place it under the tree
as a special present
for Mummy
on Christmas Day,

to make her smile,
cos she cries in bed, every night,
since Grandad died.

 

 

F – Farmyard Fugue

Farmyard Fugue is another of mine and it’s a jargon poem. Jargon poems were introduced to me by Poet and Tutor, Alison Chisholm when I attended her workshops at Swanwick Writer’ Summer School.  The exercise was to take jargon from one subject and use it in another. I think you should be able to spot easily enough which two subjects I chose. It was great fun. Why not try a jargon poem yourself?

Farmyard Fugue was previously published by Reach Magazine and later on the OAPSchat website.

 

 

 

Farmyard Fugue

Black belly sheep
‘baa baa’ in harmony
across Madrigal Meadow
to key signature ‘C.’

Belgian Blue cow moos,
an impromptu solo,
trills triad green pastures,
hooves stamp staccato.

Bourbon red turkey triplets
harmonise alto and tenor,
horns blow perfect pitch
to Moolight Sonata.

Stallion quartet pluck strings,
sweep sticks across cellos,
neigh in unison to finale,
bow heads glissando.

 

E – Eclipse

This is another one of my poems and was inspired by the Eclipse. Eclipse was first published by Reach Magazine and later on the OAPSchat website.

 

Eclipse

Set in slow motion
the moon’s silhouette
cloaks the plate of the sun.

The moon grazes
the sweltering star,
a solitaire band emerges,
black,
broken beams chase the dark.

Blackbirds,
magpies,
crows,
loom in circles,
dance in formation,
shriek erratic screams.

Atmosphere chills.

The moon’s shadow slithers away
–to reveal a daylight sky.

 

D – Double Treat

Back with us today is Colin Ward with his Haiku, Dreams

Dreams

I lie, still awake,
wondering at a life spent
stood still in my dreams.

***

I promised a double treat so here’s the next D

D – Dickinson as in Emily Dickinson

Here are some quotes from or about this talented poet.

Emily Dickinson (1830-86) was an American poet and one of my favourites.

‘Dickinson’s poetry is set in that immediate moment of existence, with little nostalgia for a more overtly poetic medieval past.’ (Helen McNeil – Emily Dickinson, 1986)

‘Friday I tasted life. It was a vast morsel. A circus passed the house – still I feel the red in my mind though the drums are out.’ Emily Dickinson in Letters, (Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets, 2011)

‘Hope is the thing with feathers’ Emily Dickinson – read it here

Read more about Emily Dickinson here

 

 

C – Colin 

Colin Ward is a fellow writer who is my special guest today and tomorrow.

Here’s his first poem, They Were Told.

They Were Told comes from his debut poetry collection Ripples which can be found here.

They Were Told

by Colin Ward 

They were told they’d troop with honour
to defend our nation’s grace;
how fortitude would be enough
to save the human race.

They were trained to fight with courage
being free would fuel their fire,
justify the loss of souls
with peace upon the pyre.

They were led to death with orders,
belief in righteous cries
to qualify the stolen truths
which bleed through tearful eyes.

 

***

About Colin

After releasing my debut novel in August of last year and achieved fantastic reviews so far, I now have the paperback version on Amazon to make it easier for everyone to get a copy.
I have also released my debut poetry collection, Ripples, in Kindle and paperback.

I’ve been writing for about twenty years or so now. For many years I wrote plays and musicals, especially as part of being a Drama teacher in my previous life. Now I have gone full power into the world of writing and have released my debut novel – “To Die For”. The Crime Fiction genre was the natural place for me to go, with my interest in crime (fictional only…nothing to see hear, officer…) and especially because in 2013-2014 I discovered my favourite Authors.

Simon Kernick’s “Deadline” was my first venture into the genre, and I was hooked. It then followed with Mark Billingham, Michael Robotham, Lisa Ballantyne, Adam Creed, and so on. There are unashamed influences of all of these in my debut, and I am happy with that.

Indie writing is my passion, and my new label “In As Many Words” is all about building up that kind of supportive community. One where we should not all have to wait for someone else to tell us our story is worth telling.

 

Where you can find Colin:

In As Many Words

Twitter:

Facebook: