Top 5 Poems for July 2011

The Slug - Ricky Bywater
New Bones - Natalie Rogers
Treasure of Childhood - Mira Mehta
Expectations - Ngozi Elizabeth Okonkwo
Weatherman - Shiksha Dheda

The Slug

Last week while I was weeding
A little voice rang out,
'Watch it with that spade!' it said
'You stupid, clumsy lout!'

I grabbed the weed from where it came
Removed it with a tug,
And sitting there beneath it
Was a slimy little slug.

'What d'ya think you're playing at?'
The angry slug then said,
'Another two inch closer
You'd have taken off my head!'

'Bless my soul! A talking slug!
I'm shocked, I must declare!
I'm sorry for the fright I gave
I didn't see you there.'

'It's reckless, crass behaviour!
Of which I don't approve!
You've just ripped up my house!' he said
'And now I'll have to move!'

© Rick Bywater

New Bones

Everything’s beautiful this morning
till your words tumble past my eyes
hitting my stomach, swilling around.

The panels holding up our house
are strong but for one, I trust.
It lets in rain and damp creeps, slow.

I am your friend, but daft as a brush
I say before think so our panels
are sagging, wilting below words.

These words are digesting and I know
new bones are the only way
to rebuild houses. Push up panels

broken by me and I'm sorry.
I am your friend. I have new bones.

© Natalie Rogers

Treasure of Childhood

While beach-combing
Beside the sea
Of tidal flows
Of memory,

I found a shell
Upon the shore;
I picked it up
And peeped, heart-sore.

From it peeped back
Eyes bright and true
That blinked and then
Withdrew from view.

I peeped again;
This time there came
A big, wide smile
Like joy aflame.

A baby then,
Now fully grown:
Where have those eyes
And smile all gone?

© Mira Mehta

Expectations

When doubt has been covered, what can you see?
Your vision is blurred, but yet you feel free
For your goals seem reachable
And your ambitions seem real
For your expectations are higher
You believe in you, still
Despite all the fall backs
The sticks and the stones
Yes the negative speeches, that claim to never break bones
Despite the Silver Lining to clouds that seem to envelop your day
Like a stamp on a parcel from the postman that has lost its way
Despite your ambiguous attempts to forget your past tries
That vision is clear, no more tears in your eyes
So what was the cause for such positive steps?
For you have risen this high, as your expectations were less
We march along roadsides just wondering what will tomorrow will bring
What experiences will I anticipate, which stage am I in?
For if success is a journey, am I to pay for my travel?
Each day I get tired and stressed, with no seen destination, how much more can I handle?
For you turn back at your pathways,
Start doubting again
For if success is not a destination, then there’s no means to an end
Your vision still blurred, you strive to feel free
For your goals now seem unreachable
Your ambitions lost steam
If your expectations weren’t so high
You’d believe in you still,
Success is a journey
But the journey can kill
So where do we go wrong, how can we overcome this depression?
I say,
Don’t ever turn back
And stop asking so many questions.
I say,
Remember your route
For each trial in your life, guarantee there’s relations
I say,
Believe in yourself more
And set reasonable expectations.

© Ngozi Elizabeth Okonkwo

Weatherman

His face rained today
In much contrast to
The rainbow smile
Of yesterday

The droplets began
Uneasily at first, and
Paced themselves to an
Unpatterned tempo

They erupted
In a hailstorm -
Complete with the heavy
Stones of heartache

The thunder came
Suddenly - quietly,
With a low note of
Howling

Later and unexpectedly
Came the bolt of
Burning and bright
Lightning

His face returned to
The genuine colourful
Burst of rainbow, after
The insincere rainfall

Sunlight shone amiably
As his expression, whilst I held
The ashy outcome of his lightning
To my cheek.

© Shiksha Dheda