View from the top of the bus by Adam Parry

The Lady Ivy embraced the old Oak King,
and they lay upon each other's lips for a day of days
in the time before Summer had a name,
or before a day ran out of time.
Entwined and verdant leaf
like a winter waistcoat about him
the Lady Ivy grew and twisted round,
growing almost touching
the rare old wood of the King, exiled,
Lord of a lost continent, within.

Sale of the Century by Adam Parry

Eyes for sale well washed
Fingers for rent long nails extra
Nose £350pcm no unemployed
Lips unused buy one pair get one free
Teeth only one owner slightly chipped
Ears only needed to hear listening extra
Fifty percent off cheeks or buy 4 for the price of 3
And chins cheap as chips batteries not included.

A voice calls from the morning by Adam Parry

Cure me of these dreamless sleep,
inoculate my heart from fear.
Over there something shines
and a voice calls from the morning.

The day! the day is begun again!
taking all the tired eyes upward
to blue sunshine, to a fight of song on the wind,
pushing us, flowing about us-

our footsteps on the damp grass, regulate into a dance
we levitate upon lips as she kisses the red earth
levitate to some cloud city floating, below drenched in sun
watch the sleepers wake.

To take and hold by Adam Parry

 

 

 

 

Unknown, unknowable,

this spacious gift.  

This World we wish for, waiting there,

it pretends and jokes and laughs

but, doesn’t promise out loud.

Our world so shrinking

in the awful cold.

Yet it’s arms to outstretch and hold.

A wish by Adam Parry

A wish

 

October lies still dreaming

waiting for a time

springing up sedately as the seconds

melt away to October time.

 

...some wonder of sun’s glint

reached for me from the moor-

to leave so many books behind

and plans of plans half-thought...

 

Yet, now October sleeps

until it has time to yawn to

wipe the sleep from its sunny eyes

and watched the horses play.

 

So deep October lies in dreams,

a long, long summertime away, waiting to rearrange

the golden rays.

as if in the golden rays

summertime remains,

lives within and never goes away.

 

October takes wasted tears and washes the heart of fear.

Silent Pen by Adam Parry

The pen sleeps now
does not speak now
left to be picked up, or dropped, or
forgotten somehow until it sings again.

Pretend by Adam Parry

 

1.

Pretend you’re a tree and come with me.

I’ll take you where the clouds were born

before they melt into the sea, where all the

Dolphins probably pee.

We’ll climb a ladder to the sky

and wonder how we got there.

 

2.

Pretend you’re a dog

just come out of the fog.

Throw off the clogs, the hooves

and stand aloof, forsooth, forsooth.

I’ll tell you a tale that’s delved

from stale hail.

Hail! We must prevail.

 

3.

The pocket pretended she was a locket

and put a silly hand into an electric

socket.

I lost her locket and stole her keys

when one day she pretended to be me.

 

4.

Pretend you’re a cat

Who had no mat upon she sat

Pretend you’re a door

who couldn’t say more.

Encore, encore!

 

5

Pretend you’re a head

gone slightly unsled.

Instead...instead of today

think twice for tomorrow

and three times for yesterday

and when today comes think only of then.

 

6.

Pretend you’re a human

If just for one day,

don’t look in the mirror

don’t run away.

Never forget that pause

in a lifetime

when you were human

when you were free.