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Twenty-First Century Willow

weeping willow with the sun shining through its leaves and a bench seat underneath
I have always been proud of my body:
lithe, supple, quite elastic. Watch me while I
bow to reach my delicately painted toenails.
I have always been supple.

My sturdy trunk withstands the wind which
gently stirs my slender limbs and sets me
swaying, tossed like the ocean’s waves,
rippling the fronds of my lime-green hair.

Don’t waste your pity on me. I have a reputation
for weeping but I am content with my lot.
I am not one of those weepy women
you love to despise. Snivelling, you call it.

I have always been flexible. Don’t let
that thought mislead you into imagining
that I am easily led. Supple, flexible,
I may be. Pliable, I am not.

If you are inclined to stay, we may indulge ourselves
in a little laziness. Rest a while beneath my boughs,
see how I catch the sunlight in my hair
and we will dip our toes together in the river’s flow.

I am a little moody, a touch melancholy
you might say, and inclined to droop.
There are times, I admit, when the river flows by
unheeding and I crave a little company.


Julia Duke

 

Photo by Jan Antonin Kolar via Unsplash

Poetry Theme(s):

Currently Popular Poems:

Change

As  I stand with my feet in the ocean, and look at the setting sun, I think of how many me's, have stood in how many seas, but always stared at the same one. A snapshot of scenes in the movie of me, at various times of my being. A new version of me every single time; the same star I'm always seeing. It fills me with curious wonder, for the places that I may go; And the life that has yet to happen, and the things I have yet to know. Jess
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Very Important Invitation

V VULVA! Did I capture your attention? E Each of us have our own experiences, relevance, compliments & complaints to mention R Race, religion, gender – cervical screening has little constraints it’s about prevention and Y You are in control. I Investment in your health, time to talk, education about look & feel M More talking about our bodies, knowing the facts and questions we have all tried to conceal P Putting it frankly, simply and laid bare O Out in the open and then you find yourself sat in the chair R Red rosy cheeks, being asked about your periods, dryness, sex, safety and infections T That’s an odd question A And did the nurse forget to mention? N Not only do we want to do your cervical screening but we want to check your safe at home too T That’s the aim of our holistic game. I Invest in your time to learn, to read, to look after what you need N Now if you ARE in need we can promise you one thing can be guaranteed V Very Important Invitation will be here to advocate,...
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So Much Yellow

There’s gorse, of course and sometimes broom, the lichens yellow on the tomb and every churchyard has its fill of lovely yellow daffodils. There’s dandelions and celandine and yellow primrose, I suppose, and fluffy yellow chicks are born and yellow toads from slippery spawn. And green is seen on every lawn, at April’s end the woods turn blue and tulips bloom in pink and red with drooping leaves in every bed but yellow bellows all around: spring’s mating call, a joyful sound. Julia Duke
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Survival

With a chromatic personality Bolder than a bull He strode his way into my life. Tweaked by unexpected darkness Descending into his rhythmic demands He made me feel unannounced. With a sinking feeling And crescendos of shadows I survived to leave by flight. Jill
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Hold On

I can feel how hard it is to keep your feet on the ground, while trapped in the town when the world all around is so crazy. I can see that the sky seems too high ever to reach and the hope that you find some days in your mind slips away when you are lonely. I can hear that your fear takes hold of your heart with claws that are sharp while your ears are filled with the clamour of confusion. Stay strong my dear one and know that in time, though the battle seems near, holding peace in your mind, helps your courage shine clear. Trust the love in your soul to keep you whole so when this time’s over we will walk again together on paths filled with beauty. Jan Armstrong Photo by Renate Vanaga via Unsplash
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Ballinasloe Station

Flood plains replenished and diminished, a deceiving here-and-there fluidity and the flat statement of stubborn water. Occasionally trackside trees are stranded, littered in swirling pools that soundlessly disappear. On the horizon, tall walls and radio mast mark the far-off asylum neatly screened with its avenue of trees. The people are hidden beyond the town, their tears reaching as far as the railway lines. The train navigates the flood’s edge like logic escaping emotion, trim engineering escaping danger, holding firmly onto the rails. (Ballinasloe was a major mental home in County Galway) Pat Jourdan
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River Linnet

River Linnet, A chalk stream In Bury. Rubbish, Let’s bin it Instead of Filling it. Edith St-King
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Ominous

Unexpected darkness descends With a decrepit desire for long absent affection, clutching at thin wispy ends with diminished thoughts and caged responses my deserted smile departed. Jill
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Patient Waiting

Waiting patiently, Post-covid chest In West Suffolk hospital every two months. Physical barriers To recovery I face, with mental and financial scars cutting past my breath. I seek reassurance From other patients, Stangers to me- To lessen my symptoms We laugh and recall. Conspiracy theorists I say, should live with my cough And pain to re-judge, I wish it was. Bryony
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Love Poem To Myself

Yes, I can, I surely can. Reminding myself that I always have and always will. No need to worry, no need to fret, no need to bite my nails, nor lie awake, nor forget, in clammy doubt wasting sleep-time on negative imaginings. I make positive probabilities more certain and real. I am calm, I am kind, I am fun, brave and generous too. Smiling more than most I see the good in everything you do. Deep breathing with a cheerful heart, I’ll fight your corner, feel your pain, make you laugh. I am a ‘doer’, a helper, a friend. I align my thoughts to health. I let go and I love, dancing in rain and on the edge of a cliff. Silence is better than to deliver a curse, I like to smile and to listen. Encouraging others to be the best that they can be. I am a mender, a maker of things and I am mindful of my consumption. I plant trees, sing songs, make tea and play simply and fairly. I will be as I am the intuitive, the sorter, the lover of life, the mender of minds, the ideas person, the performer, th...
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