Living through lockdown

Living through lockdown

I cannot shout at the supermoon
because I cough.
I cannot fly a banner in the air
but I can collect the hope
and spread an arc of colour.
I hear the dogs bark
and see the cats wink.
My beard grows long
and sharp toenails prick consciousness.
I shall sleep in the thunder
awake in the new normal.
I will love you from a distance
never touching with my fingers
that dry and wither in the heat.
My memories are of pictures
etched in the sands of time.
The masks will be torn down
and the wheels will spin.
One day we will hug and kiss again.

© Gerald England

Composed: Hyde, 26th June 2020

Needing more Cosmos

In memory of   Steve Sneyd

Deepening wind and light
accelerating by yet captured
in a moment of reflection

© Gerald England

Composed: Hyde, 23rd December 2019

Publication

2020 Cosmopoetry (Internet)

A contribution to Weekend Reflections.

Red October

Red October

Remnants of Hurricane Ophelia
draws air full of Saharan dust
and debris from forest fires
in Spain and Portugal.
A bright sun struggles
to break through.

© Gerald England

Composed, Hyde, 16th October 2017

Publication

2018 Cosmopoetry (Internet)

Spooky astroku

well beyond the light
twenty-two miles a second
Spooky* whizzes by

© Gerald England

Composed, Hyde, 1st November 2015

Publication

2016 Cosmopoetry (Internet)
2016 Ackworth born gone West (Internet)

* Spooky is a reference to the comet/asteroid that passed by the Earth in 2015.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

Lost Weekend

LOST WEEKEND

changing cossies
in the boot of the car
parents keep guard

© Gerald England

Composed Llandudno, 18th September 2015

Publication

2015 Geograph

WanderBox is a custom-built, portable contemporary art space presented by artist Jo Marsh, offering residencies to both established and emerging visual artists in a wide variety of locations and settings. The project hosts exhibitions of contemporary visual art, and serves as a base for performance and participatory practice.

For LLAWN03 the WanderBox residency was taken up by local artist Antonia Dewhurst with "Lost Weekend" which arose after a young photography student in 2014 found an undeveloped film in a secondhand camera. Processing revealed 8 poignant photos of a 1970s family holiday in Llandudno and Llanfairfechan.

Visitors to an empty shop in Vaughn Street next to the Mostyn Art Gallery were encouraged to look through the photographs and write their own responses to them. The above was my personal contribution in response to one of the photographs.

Quiet evening in Blackpool

QUIET EVENING IN BLACKPOOL

over Blackpool's North Pier
out of clouds
the sun's rays spread -
two seagulls perch
on the promenade guard rail
as a third flies over.

© Gerald England

Composed, Hyde, 8th May 2014

Publication

2014 sithenah.

A contribution to
Wednesday Waters;
Good Fences;
Skywatch Friday.

for Martin Lucas

for Martin Lucas

in our presence
another grain of sand
passes through

© Gerald England

Composed: Hyde, 15th April 2014

Unpublished