Teenager Car

The car is a teenager, losing the fragility of a newborn. Stone chips bubbling with rust, bursting through like acne.

Burst exhaust changing note daily, a deeper resonance lower and lower with every mile, soprano to bass.

Cracked bumper a scar to be proud of, telling of past near misses.

Dodgy alarm screaming in the morning protesting an early start, a temper tantrum.

 New tyres more expensive than sensible shoes, fuel tank demanding money every week.

Becoming more comfortable with you though, filling you with pride as it passes another exam, the joy of another year together, memories of places visited and sights seen.

The fear of a fatal illness or catastrophic accident ending our life together always at the back of the mind.

We should play more; have fun just for the hell of it.

Don’t let the daily grind take over don’t let our life together become a stop start grind.

Tyred Life

As we roll along through life, wherever we go we leave a little trace, this trace is never noticeable on its own, but combined with everyone else’s a track forms, a rut, as all the tracks start to head in the one direction. Then a skid mark appears as your life suddenly changes.  Are you careering away from a seemingly standing start to full speed the opposite way or have you come to a shuddering halt? These black marks become a permanent fixture on our life journey, fading but never disappearing, careful though too many can wear you out.  A change is as good as a rest remember and replenished you can carry on weaving in and out of the traffic creating your own mark on the world a breath of fresh air keeping you going as hopefully one Goodyear leads to another.

Ferry cross the Firth

The ropes cast off snaking away like apron strings

The thrum of engines building in vibrancy, increasing the heartbeat

Seagulls cries turning to bye bye bye

Harbour walls cleared, lifetime landmarks seen from a new angle

Emptiness of the sea emptying the mind

Waves slapping the hull hello hello hello

A new land on the horizon, unfamiliar landmarks waiting to be discovered

Headlands encircling the bay welcoming new life with safe arms

Apron strings thrown and caught, tied tight.

Son, Brother, Husband, Father, Uncle, Friend

Take me to an adventure

It’s a friendly place, a quiet friendly place

No need to explain yourself here everyone can tell

Everyone has the one connection here

All that knowledge and enjoyment neatly laid out

Old and new sit shoulder to shoulder their spines only giving a clue

A child’s giggle breaks the spell, a laugh from the children’s corner

Should we frown and shush?

No the enjoyment is there, the excitement of discovery

Understanding will come as they learn to immerse themselves in another world

Another world half created by a stranger, half by an endless imagination

Choices made, anticipation begins

Will you make me smile, will you make me cry, will you make me wonder?

You will take me to places far away, places I will only visit in my mind

Places I will remember for ever

Introduce to me new people, people I will like and people I will dislike

You will be mine for only a while, you will return to your home

Waiting patiently and silently for your next keeper

Hibernating until you awaken another mind.

Half a Hypochondriac

Goggle tells me I have the Black Death

My wife tells me I have a slight cough

TV news tells me I have Bird Flu

The kids tell me it’s the cold they had last week

A passer by tells me I have broken my ankle in six places

The kind A&E doctor tells me it’s a slight sprain

Men’s Health magazine tells me I have a fast growing skin Cancer

A shower tells me it was a bit of gravy from dinner

TV ad dentist tells me I have severe gum disease and all my teeth are falling out

Toothbrush tells me it was an apple skin

Gaviscon fireman tells me its heartburn

Post Mortem tells them all I should have exercised more, eaten less and not stressed so much about all the other things I thought I was going to die from.

Time to tell

I hang on the wall, you hate me, she loves me. She says it doesn't matter that I am never right, that I am pretty and blend in well. You say looks aren't everything and telling the truth is more important.