In honour of bonfire or Guy Fawkes Night, I am reproducing below my poem “Catherine Wheel”, which can be found in “The Selected Poems of K Morris”:
Catherine Wheel
Sometimes I feel
Like a Catherine wheel;
My words as sparks,
Lighting the dark.
But who in December
Remembers
The fifth of November?
—
“The Selected Poems of K Morris” is available as a Kindle download or in paperback from Amazon, https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WW8WXPP/ and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WW8WXPP/.
Eliot spoke of an “unreal city”.
I could, perhaps, say something witty.
But, in this great city
A second lockdown starts today,
So there is nothing witty
I can say.
Read “The Wasteland”
For Eliot’s command
Of language surpasses mine.
‘Tis a bitter wine,
But, does, perhaps convey
What I wish to say.
You removed your hairband.
Not at my command.
But you knew my desire.
A play with fire.
Trapped, in a rhyme
Of youth, and Father Time.
The past
Is a sleeping dog.
As, when it wakes
It barks
And frequently bites.
I hear the rain, again.
How it does pour,
Over city street, and moor
When I go my way,
The rain will stay.
But others will remain,
Listening to the rain.
We say
“Our grief
Will never cease.”
But, each day
Slowly, grief
Ebbs away.
Bittersweet regret.
Sometimes we forget
And laugh.
For all must pass.
I have just published my first author newsletter, which can be found here: https://mailchi.mp/304befa50805/november-author-newsletter
Thank you to those who have subscribed. If you have not subscribed and would like to, please click the above link.
I am delighted to announce that a number of my poems have been included in “Croydon Poetry Hour Anthology 2019/2020”.
The anthology, which is available for £6.53 from lulu.com, is described as follows, “a selection of poetry from a variety of poets who live in and around Croydon or who have connections with the area.”
I have lived in the Upper Norwood district of Greater London since 1997, and my bit of Upper Norwood comes under Croydon Council.
Amongst those poems of mine included, are “The Man With The Mop”, “Autumn Fly” and “Dog Bed”.
To view or purchase the anthology please visit https://www.lulu.com/en/gb/shop/croydon-poets/croydon-poetry-hour-anthology-201920/paperback/product-rjpqzd.html.
On Saturday 31 October, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that England will be going into a second lockdown from midnight Thursday 5 November. This announcement reminded me of my poem “Furlough”, which is reproduced below:
Furlough
During the time
Of Corona, girls unseen
May fulfil a lonely man’s dream.
While poets smile
And spend their time
Composing rhyme.
“An Englishman’s home is his castle,”
Neighbours say.
And, wishing to avoid hassle,
They look the other way
As girls (ineligible for furlough)
Come and go.
And time
Hangs heavy on the poet’s hands.
Therefore, he composes rhyme
About a crossed line
And resistance
To social distance.
(“Furlough” can be found in “Light and Shade”, which can be accessed here, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Shade-serious-not-poems-ebook/dp/B08B4X3GVX
Cold day.
No sun
Does say
Late Autumn
Has come.
K Morris - Poet 