Christmas Time

CHRISTMAS TIME

No sooner summer's end
than supermarkets fill their shelves
with tempters for the Christmas spend.

Civic authorities string up lights
to glimmer through the gloom
of foggy mid-November nights.

Children open advent doors
in calendars revealing scenes
of cribs and candles and Santa Claus.

With the first of the season's pantomimes
or the knocking of the carollers;
Christmas begins at different times.

But the time that Christmas truly starts
is when we open up our selves,
allowing Christmas to invade our hearts..


                          © GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Ashton under Lyne, 14th November 1987

Publications

1988 The Third Half (UK)

2000 Breathe (UK)

[6j]

Composed: Ashton under Lyne, 11th November 1987

Publication

1990 Iota (UK)

Taking Her Mother's Advice

              TAKING HER MOTHER'S ADVICE

              Her mother adviced,
              "Lie back and think of England"

              She did
              England came
              She did

              © GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Ashton under Lyne, 10th October 1987

Publication

1988 Haight Ashbury Literary Journal (USA)

Making Love In The Early Morning

MAKING LOVE IN THE EARLY MORNING

Orgasm approaching
Rumbles of distant traffic
Screech of brakes
where the two roads meet
at the "Cock & Crown"
Patter of elephants on the landing
Sheets quickly hoisted
Movement locked in a still embrace
"Daddy, it's time to get up! Mummy!"
"Thank you, son!"
As innocence departs downstairs
daddy is already up - mummy.

© Gerald England

Composed: Ashton under Lyne, 1st October 1987

Publications

1988 Agog (London, UK)
1990 The Affiliate (Canada)
1998 The Bohemian Forest (Internet)

Bread

BREAD

              Nutty brown wholemeal,
              wheat germ, standard white,
              supermarket pre-wrapped cardboard,
              stale wedding reception left-overs;
              it's all the same
              to Bewick swans and Mallard ducks
              fighting for every thrown crumb,
              quacking and screeching
              at upstart gulls and starlings
              keen to encroach on banks.
              Only when the last bag of bread
              is emptied,
              the last child departed,
              will they retire
              fat to the island.

              © GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Ashton under Lyne, 20th September 1987

Publications

1990 Aireings (UK)
1992 STEALING KISSES (Hyde, New Hope International)
1998 The Morpo Review (Internet)

(c20)

              to light a candle
              in dark December's despair
              would be wasted wax

              © GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Ashton under Lyne, 9th September 1987

Publication

1992 Quickenings (USA)

March Visit to Worth Valley

              MARCH VISIT TO WORTH VALLEY


              Past the sliced snow
              and the plough's U-turn
              the car slush-slides
              to Oxenhope

              Steam-smoke thaws
              the lineside trees;
              black tunnels emerge
              to the green and white

              Pussy willow at Oakworth
              pushes towards spring
              while early cameras click
              at Damens

              Unhooked the metal monster
              bellows,
              rail-runs to reverse the front,
              hauls back to Haworth.

              Over towards Hebden
              we ignore the sign
              "Road Ahead Closed"
              knowing it wasn't when we came.

             © GERALD ENGLAND

Composed: Worth Valley, 20th March 1987

Publication

1991 Aireings (UK)