My beautiful girl makes my heart swell with pride I hug her and feel very thankful inside Her firm, rounded belly is pressing on me We smile as we share a group hug, just us three My daughter, her own little daughter, and me.
I am a great fan of Robert Burns and have tried to compose this wee poem in the vernacular:
Ma bairns hae aw grown up and mairrit and hae gi'en tae me mair bairns tae treasure A luv them aw frae biggest tae wee'st an thank the Lord a hae been grantit this pleasure
Litter flittering on dry yellowing grass An old shoe, laces outstretched as if dead Just a place we spent time in A different set of connections But memories make a place special
At 19 I was keen to bed, at 23 was keen to wed, At 24 I first was sprogged, then 3 times more my brain was fogged, At 37 we hit the teens, an easy task by no-one’s means, For 15 years we roughed it out, with many fights but ne’er a clout, Then just 5 years of blessed peace, before my grandchild hit the fleece......
The people in our family used to be: Big, loud and boring, Sad, proud and snoring. Now things have changed, and I'm much bigger, I really can't stand it when little ones snigger!
Dreaming of you before you were born Even in sleep I was torn A newborn baby with half a heart Darling grandson you had a difficult start I saw your star herald the dawn
Oh Barney where's your sun hat, oh Barney where's your book? Oh Barney where's your school bag? Please, do go and have a look! Oh Barney have you cleaned your teeth, with toothpaste and a brush? Oh Barney for Heaven's sake do hurry, we're late and in a rush Oh Barney there's your lunch bag where you left it on the hook!
She lies there, this tiny perfect thing - the image of my child - Sleeping, cheeks soft and pale, her breath but a butterfly wing No sound save the fall of my tears, Grieving in vain for her mother's childhood, times gone, the passing years.......
Btw - the competition will be judged by author and poet Miriam Halahmy. She has published three novels and two poetry collections. Her poetry has been included in anthologies, read on the radio and performed on stage. Miriam runs creative writing workshops and is a member of the Highgate Poetry Society and English PEN.
Poems to be submitted by midday on Weds 20th and result announced on the Thursday morning