Family, Love, Life Poems

No more tiny feet

There is no longer the sweet sound of tiny feet
Pattering in the wake of my every step.
Dimpled, pudgy feet that took their first stroll -Tottering, stumbling, reaching for a hand to steady them.
Cautiously padding into paths unknown,
Ready to be soothed and swathed when they fall.

Delightfully dirty, black-soled feet,
Welly-clad, jumping, puddle-splashing feet,
Swimming, pedalling, dancing feet,
Discovering a whole new world of play.
Stomping, stamping, angry feet,
Stampeding, tumbling, toppling feet,
Reluctant rambling, tired feet
With ticklish toes and nail-clipping woes.

Now giant feet walk with purposeful strides,
Swaggering, sauntering, confident feet,
Running, racing, athletic feet,
Feet of champions, leaders, feet that can change the world.
Shuffling, huffing-puffing, surly feet,
With holey-soled socks never put in the wash
And long, hairy toes that continue to grow.

Feet that stubbornly stand on their own,
Whilst I hope they forever find their way home.

The Weary Warrior

She carries a tiny heartbeat inside her
And wears her own forever outside her body.
Her strength is silent;
Yet she bears the weight of a thousand souls.
Commander of tiny armies,
She is a fierce protector in fragile armour;
A weary warrior watching and waiting
For fearful foe to cross her path.

Each line of her brow tells a story of a militant past
Combatting through a world not fit for her kind.
Each silvery thread contours a journey of joy and struggle,
An unforgivable temptress bound by oppression and pain.
She tends to her wounds and that of her flock
With gentle warmth and compassion,
Her own pain palpable, unyielding.
And still she marches on, resolute in her strife.

My Father’s Hands

Hands that steadied me as I learned to walk,
Hands that encouraged me when I tried to talk.
Hands that gently washed and bathed
Hands that healed, comforted, swathed.
Hands that carried me until I grew tall,
Hands that waved me off to school.
Hands like gorillas would swing me up high,
Hands on which I could always rely.
Hands that grafted and worked so hard,
Hands that tinkered with cars in the yard.
Hands that crafted; painted fine art,
Hands that wrote letters that warmed my heart.
Hands that cheered me on each and every mile,
Hands that calmed me as we walked down the aisle.
Hands that held me as we would dance away,
Hands I would cherish to see again one day.
Hands that always offered a friendly shake,
Hands that rested in yours in further embrace.
Hands that clapped your back with a wink and a smile,
Hands I wish to hold again for a while.
Hands that were warm even if the day was cold,
Hands I saw age, but never grow old.
Hands that would fly into the air with laughter,
These hands I will remember forever after.

The Greatest Woman

The Greatest woman I know is sitting in this room…

She’s the child who struggled to ever fit in
Wanting to be everyone and do everything
Who loved with a fierce ache in her heart
And felt her heart break each time love would depart.

She’s the daughter who feels so deep.
Never wanting to leave your side
Always coveting your love and your pride
Now, the carer of the carer
Of wisdom and nurture the bearer
The person in whom you most trust to confide.

She is the wife who surrendered her fragile heart
Promising faithful love ‘til death do you part
Through thick and thin
Your lives become akin:
A new love grows -
As she bears your queen or king.

She is the mother who swathes and soothes away fears
Hugs away sadness
Kisses away tears
The cheerleader in your wings
The warrior at your side
The supporter in your corner
The bearer of such pride.

She’s the faithful friend
Who’s loyalty knows no end
She laughs along with your joy
Cries alongside your pain
And builds you up over and over again.

The Greatest woman I know is sitting in this room. She is in each of you.

Love is a comfort

Love is a comfort
Love is a cure
Love is confidence when you’re feeling unsure.

Love is connection
Understanding, belief
Love is a warm blanket in moments of grief.

Love is laughter
Love is sadness too
Love is forgiveness and showing you’re true.

Love is faithfulness,
Never letting you down
Love is the smile that will soften your frown.

Love is acceptance
Love is a pride
Loving each nuance and change of the tide.

Love knows no perfection
Love embraces your flaws
Love is the soldier who fights for your cause.
Love is tomorrow, yesterday, today
Love everlasting
Love here to stay.

The year the world divided (and united)

 Britain divided from Europe
Disease divided borders apart
Lockdown divided loved ones
Despair divided joy from the heart.

And then the rainbows came…

Strangers united in kindness
Neighbours united in cheer
Families united in rekindled love
A country united in hope and fear.

And then the darkness came…

Races divided in ignorance
Colour divided by hate
Families divided by loss
Communities divided by fate.

News feeds flooded with blackouts
A stark reminder of consciousness lost,
Of suppression, oppression, silence and hiding
Of lives wasted, but never forgot.

A mob of masked soldiers gathered in hoards
Desperate to be heard through muffled cries
Forgetting the virus that courses through veins
As a greater disease took to the skies.

And then the sun came…

Pupils reunited with teachers
Friends and team-mates reunited in play
Grandparents reunited with grandkids
Hope increased a little day by day.

Races stood strongly together
Awareness bringing new light
Love driving out the darkness
A world united in a future that’s bright.