#napowrimo2022 #day29 #shewhowissmissed

She who was missed off the guest list

 

The one who foretold

the princess would one

day prick her finger

on a spinning wheel,

did not curse the heroine.

Rather she gifted her

With powerful charms…

To prioritise self-care, to rest when you need too.

To create an impenetrable barrier of briar thorns, keeping her boundaries intact.

To find a host of fairy godmothers who would forever have her back.

It was society that cursed her,

to think she needed a prince

with a questionable position on consent

to complete her.

#napowrimo2022 #day28 #86our

#napowrimo2022 #day27 #earnest

If I’m Earnest 

Over tired

over screened

it’s hard asking

for adjustments

even when prompted

then to be ignored

especially when

we’re discussing

the importance

of being inclusive.

*Off prompt today and a little bit moody - so releasing in a poem

#napowrimo2022#day26 #circe

#napowrimo2022

#day26 

#circe 

"Circe"

They called themselves men.

Walking on two legs,

Thought themselves civilised,

refined, even.

I am a mistress or magic.

I see things as they are,

not as they are projected.

I saw them sordid, corrupt.

 

When the abused,

my opulent hospitality.

Desirous of plundering

ALL my treasures.

 

Lower than beasts of

the field, so if the snout

fits…and it was easy

with a touch to transform them.

Falling to all fours,

screaming, well like stuck pigs,

though for now they’re whole,

to savour their own lechery.

Who knows, if the fancy

takes me, for slow braised

pig’s cheeks or stuffed trotters,

(they don’t know I’m vegan).

 

What do their little piggy

eyes express? Terror?  

Remorse? Do they fear

I share their mortal gluttony?

#napowrimo2022 #day25 #steanswythe

#napowrimo2022 

#day25 

#steanswythe 

St Eanswythe

Our Lady of Folkestone

Yearning for a chaste and pious life.

Courted by a Pagan king

challenged him grow a beam,

his Gods’ fail, so legend says.

While her prayers are all granted.

A monastic calling conferred.

Diverting water to flow uphill.

Resurrecting pilfering geese,

From the bones of servant’s feast.

All these miracles accorded to our saint. 

I don’t know why she calls to me?

With my wayward Pagan soul.

Perhaps she just sees another

wild goose sister flying free?

Photo credit Dr Lily Hawker-Yates

#napowrimo2022 #day24 #WorldDomination

World domination…

One craft fayre at a time

Alarming as

a gaggle of enraged

geese, the ladies

of Kent Goddess Group

descended on the fayre,

to malfunction and destroy.

Visible as

A neon sign, but twice

as loud. Cackling,

There could be

doubt, something

wicked this way comes.

Sylvie’s innocent as

a cloistered nun,

pulls out innocuous

crochet crafts. Until her sleight

hands jerk severed heads.

Photo credit Sylvie Queenie Hirst

#napowrimo2022 #day23 #youcanlead

 

"You can lead..."

You can lead a horse

to water but

you cannot

make it drink.

You can lead a

student to learning

but you cannot

make her think.

You can lead a politician

to public office

but you cannot

make him serve.

 

They may not be

thirsty, bright or honest,

indeed you may lead

but in turn they may swerve.

Photo credit Reuters.

#napowrimo2022 #day22 #guiltismoreweight

Guilt is “more weight”

Guilt at surviving, particularly if you ever tried and failed.

Guilt why them not me?

Guilt obstructs healing.

Guilt a covert enemy blasts again, again, and again.

Guilt you didn’t know.

Guilt you didn’t see.

Guilt you couldn’t control the choices others made.

Guilt a solitary prison, ponder how many are incarcerated?

Guilt a pale shade haunting.

Guilt anger inverted?

Guilt at feeling guilty, you know it doesn’t bring them back.

Guilt an endless litany.

Guilt, witch pressing, each rock slowly collapsing lungs.

Guilt when gasp, shaking off crushing weight and think about moving forward.

#napowrimo2022 #day21 #thankyou

"Thank you"

Thank you, for teaching me

the right time to walk away,

to vigorously tend my boundaries,

to refuse to shut up, shrinking,

dimming my light so yours looked

brighter didn’t serve either of us.

Thank you, for teaching me

the right time to walk away,

to vigorously tend my boundaries,

to refuse to sacrifice my physical

and mental health of the altar

of local authority youth work.

Thank you, for teaching me

the right time to dive deeper,

to vigorously tend my cerebral

cauldron, to know how to brew

it up and how to say stop little pot,

stop, thank you too for the Bell Jar.

Exactly when will we no longer need these lessons?

#napowrimo2022 #day20 #cocomee

“Cocomee”

We can’t keep doing this babe!

Every time I promise myself,

tonight I’ll make a different choice.

I know the definition of madness.

Repeating the same actions,

Expecting a different outcome.

Does the waitress recognise me?

Does she acknowledge my illicit struggle?

She graciously hands me a menu.

I unfold the linen napkin, like a gift,

softly place it upon my lap, fingers

lovingly trace the name of each dish.

I ponder my dilemma, what I want

what I think I think I want, crushed

by a burden of choice, I cave…

Order a damned, delicious bento box, again.

#napowrimo2022#day19 #donttrythisathome

"Don’t Try This At Home*

 

Don’t head butt showers,

it’s not smart, headaches begin,

you will feel like the

saddest girl in the world, start

striking dates from diary.

*still feeling a little meh so just a tiny Tanka.

#napowrimo2022 #day18 #sovereynetee

"Sovereynetee"

1. To smash that glass ceiling into a million, billion iddy, biddy pieces, oh, and equal pay for equal work would be great.

2. Political representation, we make up 51% of the population, visibility in corridors of power matters, and strong female leaders are needed to inspire a new generation of young women and girls.

3. Keep out of our reproductive organs and choices, a uterus doesn’t need policing, thanks. We are totally aware of their strange and mystical powers!

4. To be safe, to have rape and sexual assault taken seriously, and not to be twice victimised by the current legal system.

5. End casual everyday misogyny, no “lady” tortilla chips that are quiet, no locker room talk, no absolutely no “grabbing us by the pussy”. Catcalling, harassment, being passed over, of coffee runs, being barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen fixing you a sammich, expectations of shouldering all the emotional labour…it chip, chip, chips away at our equality, and quite frankly we're exhausted, let's embrace loudness, intersectionality, taking up space.

#napowrimo2022 #day17 #bootdogmystery

“Boot Dog”

And the mystery of the missing rocket lolly.

I was always very smol,

this is a fact recorded in poetry elsewhere,

however, when I was even smoler,

Uncle Dave had a VERY BIG dog.

A Weimaraner, I’ve had to

Run down stairs and ask my dad

the dog’s name, he was called,

according to my father “Boot Dog”.

I remember, being at my nan’s,

sitting in the living room,

on a sultry summers day,

cooling myself with a rocket ship lolly.

This hefty grey ghost,

eyed my scrumptious frozen

treat. Squeezed his not inconsiderable

frame up onto my miniscule lap.

He was gentle, but determined,

with his lengthy rough tongue,

lapped up yellow, orange and red.

My petite little legs failed as levers.

My outraged utterances unheard

70lbs of sturdy dog makes quite good

soundproofing. Mum pops her head round

Says “You ate that fast”. Boot Dog lols.

#napowrimo2022 #day16 #easterrituals

Late offering, yesterday's migraine knocked me out a little, but I think the poem is even better now after a little inspiration from Toni Bowe's Easter celebration pics. Some of the lore around Easter confuses me a bit, so here it is in a poem form. Had tried to work the ryhme scheme out reading the "Pied Beauty" example and got muddled should have just Googled it's abcabcdbcdc.

"Easter Rituals"

Easter rituals have always confused me a little.

Why is it a moveable feast, rather than a fixed date?

Jesus was the lamb of God, knew doubt and fear,

Faith a precious thing, though freshly tempered, is brittle

Spring lamb, burned flesh offerings, a shared killing fate.

Spiced buns break Lenten feast, heal the sick all year.

Sunday, a bunny brings a basket full of sweet treats.

The children are excited, hunting games are great.

Eggs painted, rolled and small faces with chocolate smears.

Simnel cake sans, marzipan Judas, for afters to eat.

Mix up of traditions here.

#NaPoWriMo2022 #Day15 #WhyGirlsDontLikeFootball

So disinterested in my topic, I couldn’t even craft my own words, so instead I have harvested a found poem from a Guardian article comments section on why girls don’t like football. Any original contributions are in square parentheses. I’ve included a link to the guardian article.

 

“Why don’t girls like football”

I couldn’t give a monkeys about football.

[a gallant male jumps into mansplain –

on queries about why women shun the beautiful game].

It's sad to get excited about 21 men

kicking an inflated pig's gut

around a couple of times a week.

Did nobody explain the offside rule when I was 3?

Footie is dominated by the Geezers.

I'd say it’s all dahn to conditioning.

Funny ole game, life, innit?

I would rather watch paint dry

than see (or play) [or write a poem about] a football match.

https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-22147,00.html

#napowrimo2022 #day14 #itwouldhavetobeamusical

"It would have to be a musical"

My life couldn’t be a movie.

It would have to be a musical. 

In a proper old-fashioned theatre,

uptown, steep-stairs, velvet, gilt, opulence.

A small orchestra, to play the myriad

of rousing show tunes, you can

hear them tuning up.

You predict that you’ll be tapping your feet. 

Prior to finding your seat

You have been fleeced of you cash,

For an overpriced beverage,

a packet of Revels and a souvenir brochure. 

Before the safety curtain lifts,

you would be reminded that

photography, video and

audio recordings are prohibited.

You anticipate carefully choreographed

above the waist dancing. 

High drama, costume changes, minor peril.

Your heroine triumphs against the odds

You know you will leave lighter,

full of joy, a brief emotional outlet.

Escape from a world of war,

pestilence, poverty, and corruption. 

Musical theatre is cheaper than therapy.

Effects will last if you remember,

to sing into your hairbrush,

belting out the catchier numbers.

#napowrimo2022 #day13 #13luckyforsome

Inspired by the Nonet, trying a poem with 13 syllables and then dropping one of each line.

"13 Lucky for Some"

Himself suggested a trip to Buckingham Palace.  

Okay, if you like says I. Heaven knows that were

not really monarchists, but marriage is about

compromise. We might see the Changing of

the Guards, we sit beneath a cherry tree,

blossom falling round our faces,

surprise, he pulls two tickets,

out, reveals a “Wicked”

treat, completes a

musical

hat trick.

Squee!

#napowrimo2022 #Day12 #isitart

Is it art?

Fountain no longer

flows, three towers blinded by

light, dig through Thames trash,

seamlessly cobbled, collated

questioning, is this all art?

#napowrimo2022 #Day11 #jenlud #O2

O2

The O2 feels huge.

Mammoth, mahoosive, monster,

possibly other,

sundry words beginning with 

'M'.  People-y but I'm fine.  

Papa's got me!

#napowrimo2022 #day10 #loveis

"Love is"

Love is my circle.

Sisters, show up, share, support.

Cherish the spiral.