The Poetry Marathon

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

It was the possibility of darkness that made the day seem so bright.
Stephen King

You, my song of Innocence,
You, my tale of Experience;
You, first my dawn and then my darkest night.
You, who gave me such luminous vision;
How could I know you were simply reflected light?

(c) Anne McMaster 2016

Poem no.2 : This time is ours

We sit together and I hold your hand;
Cauled in a silence
That falls between us like a winter snow.
Sometimes words elude you –
Sometimes you speak but the meaning is not clear.
Then wordless touch calls you here, to me;
And so we sit together and I hold your hand.

Your slender fingers arc and curl in mine
And, braille-like, patiently,
I trace your history in each worn palm.
Those hands toiled a generation;
Graceful craftsman’s fingers
Hardened and calloused
By more than you were called to do.

You mended fences, built new byres,
Patiently grew crops and daughters,
Worked from sun to sun,
Then told us stories as we fell asleep.

Now, caught in the mist of long-forgotten days,
I have become your anchor to the present moment.
This time, this present moment, is what we have.
And so we sit together and I hold your hand.

(c) Anne McMaster 2016

Poem no. 1: The End

And when you came to me,
It was with soft words –
Gentle to my ear.
Honeyed with need for me –
Dropping from your lips like morning nectar.

Sweet phrases tasted on my tongue.

When you left me here
There was no sense of ending;
Just sour relief.
Cessation from battle.
Time apart to lick our wounds.

Watching a hawk swoop, later,
Silent, focused, over empty autumn fields,
I understood the time was past;
That nature would ebb and flow around me
But our cycle was done.

For my parents.
Jeannie Workman McMaster: 1920-1994
William Robert McMaster: 1918-1995

Poem 24!!!

They died.
But I remained.
I walked the land they worked.
Remembering the lives we led:
All gone?
I found them in the soil, the sky:
Alive, each season’s turn.
I blossom now.
And grow.

(c) Anne McMaster 2015

I live on the old farm where I grew up with my parents and which I worked with my father. Often, he’d walk up the road to check on the cattle that were out in nearby fields and I’d sit on the wall in front of the farm and watch him walk back down to me. I knew, even when I was young, that I’d have to store those memories away, for one day the road would be empty.

I watch my father as he walks the road
And memorise each step he takes,
I need to remember how he strode.
I watch my father as he walks the road.
Later as we walk, his pace is slowed;
I help him then: we share the load.
I watch my father as he walks the road
And memorise each step he takes.

(c) Anne McMaster 2015

(To be performed in the slightly nasal, up-beat style of a FOH speech before a theatre show.)

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen
Or rather, YOU, sir,
You wickedly handsome devil,
And welcome to this evening’s love song.
For your enjoyment
And before the performance begins,
We’d like to ask you
To make sure all mobile phones
(Mainly yours, you luscious man)
Are switched off
Or put on silent.
You won’t want anything to interrupt this,
You gorgeous, gorgeous boy…
Emergency exits are sited
In the flowing areas…
Here.
Here.
Here.
And here.
You won’t need them, though,
Will you?
You strike me as being in this for the long run, darling:
No quick exits for you!
And we’re glad to hear that;
So very, very glad!
This evening’s performance
Will last a lifetime, sir.
There’ll be laughter, tears and plenty of drama,
And some of it
(Or a great deal of it, should we say, darling man)
Will be of a highly adult variety.
Bet that brought a smile to your face, hmmmm, you naughty boy?
There will be no interval –
No break from this performance –
For we know that’s what you asked for
And it’s something we’re more than happy to provide.
Now all that’s left for us to say
Is sit back
And enjoy the show!

(Mwah!)

(c) Anne McMaster 2015

There’s been a heavy fall of rain overnight and the world seems freshly washed around me today – a good beginning to a new adventure! Best wishes to everyone who’s doing either the half marathon or the full marathon today; it’s been a pleasure to meet you.

Hello everyone and greetings from Northern Ireland! My name is Anne and I’ve decided to do the full marathon. From the first, the very title of this project intrigued me, and I can’t wait to get started! I’ve been adrift from my own creative soul recently (work and more work got in the way) so now I’m diving straight into the deep end!

Im not sure what to expect, to be honest: I want this to challenge me and inspire me – and I already feel it will do just that. It’s a lovely feeling to be part of this group…all waiting to begin! I’m on GMT (plus daylight savings) so it’ll be an early start for me! xx