April again = Na/GloPoWriMo. Normally each year I debate about if I should put myself through the somewhat excruciating agony of participating, but not this year. I knew I would months ago. Because something has recently happened to me which has meant I’ve been churning out new poems (some of them even quite good) at a furious rate since December. Why you might well ask. Good question.

And so to themes. 

In 2020, every poem explored corona, plague, pandemics & virus.  
In 2021 it was heat, denial, climate change & extreme weather. 
This year 2022 the theme is even bigger. And also infinitely more intimate.

You soon work out what it is when you start reading.

an old romantic on a new seesaw 

i don’t begrudge
you 

your silences
your lake swims
your long walks

your reading of books
or baking of cakes
just to cook something
not work related 

whatever needs to be done
to stay sane, find calm
detox, disengage, downtime
needs to be done

i can cope with
you 

running soft & hot
sweet & giggly
mere moments 
after ice & distance
business & banter

the seesawing
between soul mates
sizzling with sparkles
& endless iterations
on the various types
of falling rain

all the talk about romance
& romantic gestures
& the most romantic things done
have been leading to one place

this place:

where all 
i need is 
a message
every sporadic 
so-often 
(say every 30 
minutes or so)

a simple bit of ascii 
binary code
with a “missing 
you” here &
a kiss emoji 
or a purple
love heart
there

one of these 
will keep me 
off the saw
for half a dozen
bliss-filled 
hours at least

i promise