A retired businessman from Portstewart, Peter is married to Maggie, with four children and five grandchildren. Loving poetry from an early age he had always planned to concentrate on his poetry in his retirement.  During his years at school, he loved to read but could not spell, which held him back from pursuing an academic career. Advances in technology meant writing became easier for him. He now has a desire to share his poetry with other likeminded people.

The Felling

Where grows the tree
which will bury me?

Are you in a forest,
wood or hedgerow
do children climb
in your branches to play
where birds have built nests
their eggs to lay

have bees made honey
from blossoming flowers
have animals sheltered
from soaking showers
have dogs pissed on my coffin lid
lovers neath your canopy hid
while carving names in my bark
slipping home under cover of dark

Will you be oak or simple pine
when you’re felled
tooled as mine
have I already passed you by
as you grow      waiting
for me to die

lying in a cloak of wood
where I’m wrapped so snug
it’s my tree which will give me
my final hug

Curtains

mirrors covered clocks stopped
let the drama begin a limited showing
Directors directing
my motionless mime
no understudy there for my part
least not one with a beating heart

no acting lessons needed
for my show today
they say I look like myself
wish to God it was someone else
in life I was told shut the fuck up
now in death my mouth’s sewn shut
I can’t shout out loud
Marcel Marceau would have been so proud

my grease paint on I’m looking better
a caricature in my wooden theatre
my hands clasping wooden beads
you can’t shake them
so pat my head instead
A rhyme of prayers kind words said

neither suited nor booted
now bare footed t shirted
the tea’s gone cold the show’s over
put a lid on it instead

Fade to Dust

your money spent

your memories gone

there’s nothing left

just fleshless bones

           years pass      time moves on

                   all strangers can see

                          is a scratch

                               on a stone