Poetry - Lynn White

  Jack It was a turnip long before it became a pumpkin, pumpkins weren’t grown here back then and, after our little party together I surely needed protection to keep the devil at bay. It had seemed a good idea to invite him for a drink and a good opportunity to part him from his cash. I thought robbing the devil would keep me in drinks all my life! But I was a fool, a mean and stingy fool now forbidden from both heaven and hell. And hell would have been kinder to me than this eternal wandering, my way lit only with a devilish lantern glowing grotesquely with my fool’s fire. So spare a kind thought for me on Halloween and let me close my eyes and sleep.

  All The Devils Were There I used to dress in bakers white and take a basket of bread to Halloween parties.   I never found many takers. Spiced pumpkin, apple cakes and candy were always more popular. So I had a re-think. Now I take a basket of babies. They can’t get enough of them all of those devils out there, even those who come as angels   gather round for a bite. Just one bite will transform them so they’ll leave as devilish as the rest.

  Nevermore We have all lost our loves and revelled in our misery while longing for oblivion and release and the hopeful terror of reliving. We may have experienced the distraction of birds   tapping at a window or fluttering sootily down a chimney to enter a room like an uninvited saviour or demon and worried and fretted as we try to discern which is witch.   I would like to believe Poe but can the raven really call ‘nevermore’. I have heard many a ‘caw’ from the crows and ‘jacks’ from the jackdaws. And I have heard many a raven call, but never a nevermore. ‘Never say never’ says Poe. But ‘naw’, say the crows. ‘Cack’, say the jackdaws. There’s   never a never more. https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=dvgFU8DKq2XiAC0spOqlqGymuPL1fNDFSRdJlAa6I6l

  Haunting I want to open my eyes to see the sun but it’s so bright   I have to keep them closed and that’s when the tears fall. That’s when the shadows return to haunt me. I hope   sometimes they are haunting you. https://www.mockingowlroost.com/blog/shadows-haunting-poem/

  Recovering My Dreams I have such beautiful memories inside my head.   Inside my head. Struggling to get outside into the ragged, jagged outside life which passes for normality. Such beautiful dreams lying there. One day I might recover them and live that perfect life which lies inside my head. They wait there for me, await recovery for the journey outside. https://www.lulu.com/shop/martha/the-soliloquist-fall-2026-issue/paperback/product-dy79qnp.html?page=1&pageSize=4

  On The Beach They search and search, the hikers in the blow   of last night’s storm, then they stop. Stand and gaze   into a still pool, misty with sand blown.   The waves still crash and spray. There’s nothing in the pool but sand and stones they’re sure of it now, but out there beyond, they’ll still search on, out there in the blue blow of the death zone. https://gaspoertyartandmusic.blogspot.com/