Normally I stick to tiny poems – my ‘half-arsed haiku’ or senryu (also called human haiku as they focus more on human nature or emotions than the ‘nature’ nature or seasons that are really supposed to be the focus of traditional haiku!). Today however I thought I’d get out of my comfort zone and post a slightly longer one in honour of World Poetry Day.  Hope you like it…

On World Poetry Day – The Words, How They Help:

It helps to try and get the words out
somehow
those dry and dusty words
that build up
in quiet corners
the useless phrases that hide in cupboards
under stairs and sinks
the well worn words that sleep in coat pockets
among torn tissues and old bus tickets
the sly ones that
hide in damp leaves and still waters
the words that are maybe dark
but do not always run deep
the ones that threaten to burst out
in great gulps of air
those that would love to leap from my throat
to be caught by tender fingertips
or spat out
like too cold tea
the words that help
make sense
of the senseless
and light of the dark
that sometimes wraps itself around me
the words that give a face to my fear
that i may recognise it
slap it down
or kiss it better
the words that make me stop in my tracks
and listen
and notice
and take in the tiny
the insignificant
that are no longer
now I see
that what i thought was broken
is actually beautiful
that what was bitter
is so so sweet

#WorldPoetryDay