Literary Vegan: 2021

Tuesday 21 December 2021

As the pond grows colder

Duck weed is gathering green
Forming continents on dark water.
Webbed feet balance on branches
And the moorhen fortifies her twig mound
As the pond grows colder.
A slither of winter
Is snaking the air and under,
The softest warning.
A rat streaks across the stream,
Hurried
And the squirrels have extra handfuls of
Berries
My cardiganed arms are folded -
I too have to store these faces
For when I'm surrounded by walls
And forgetful of the part of me
That lives under trees
And heron wings.

Haiku

Tradition lingers

Seeps down into the deep snow

Ghosts of animals

Tuesday 21 September 2021

On days like these

On days like these
I don't need flowers
Or words
That catch raindrops,
Gleaming
That are meant for
The stream -

Just another heartbeat
On the other side of the blanket -
Close enough
To reign the rhythm
Of my own,
And walk it around
Without moving.

c. LJ Ireton 2021

Tuesday 8 June 2021

Holding the Earth

The Sun has fallen a little,
But stalls on my face
And ponders the daisies,
Ever happy
At my feet.
I press my palms to the earth -
I want to feel this peace
As a tangible thing -
Something I can still hold
When twilight and worry

Wade through the trees.

Upcoming Poems and where to find them!

Published Poems by LJ Ireton

April 2021: 'The Chapel Stars'

Marble Poetry's first broadsheet: https://www.marblepoetry.com/product/broadsheet-subscription/

May 2021: ' Nature's Beautiful Things'

Eucalyptus & Rose Literary Magazine:

https://www.eucalyptusandroselitmag.com/post/nature-s-beautiful-things

May 2021: 'The Magpie'

Minnow Literary Magazine: https://minnowliterarymagazine.com/

June 2021: 'Joining the Water Birds'

Chasing Shadows Literary Magazine: https://chasingshadowsmag.wordpress.com/

June 2021: 'The Turtle'

Green Ink Poetry: https://www.greeninkpoetry.co.uk/

August 2021: 'Nimue Watches'

Noctivagant Press: https://www.noctivagantpress.co.uk/issues

August 2021: 'The Storm Summoner'

Noctivagant Press: https://www.noctivagantpress.co.uk/issues

August 2021: 'When Flowers Sleep'

The Fantastic Other: https://fantasticother.com/featured/issue-three-a-surreal-summer/

September 2021: 'Fire Fox Volta'

The Madrigal: https://www.themadrigalpress.com/issues

October 2021: 'Mary and her Merlin'

Spellbinder Quarterly Literary & Art Magazine: https://www.spellbindermag.com/issues/

October 2021: 'The Oracle'

Wind-Up Mice Journal: https://www.windupmicepress.com/issues

Sunday 9 May 2021

Waiting for the Moon

She walked under mountain shadows

Through her mind

Barefoot on black sand

Waiting for the moon

That would decorate

The stones around her feet

And pull her back

To the world

Of snow-dusted peaks

And perspective

Where falling stars

Were decoration

And not omens

Where clouds were

Temporary distractions.

Monday 3 May 2021

Caution and Wisdom

The birds of the sky know their freedom
Keep us at a distance below,
We who cage them
And I respect that caution.
But you are so wise,
Little ones
The perspective you have

Is what we need
To get ourselves
Off the ground.

Wednesday 28 April 2021

This Kind of Snow

There is a chill to this April day,
With white skies too bright
Without the sun's yellow filter,
And wind too sharp

Against my skin.

Shielding my face,

I gaze down at my feet

Only to be surprised by

A gathering of pink teardrops.

In spite of the cold,

I smile at the colour

And into the blaze of blossom

That is above me,

Blocking out the stark white wall

Of cloud.

Now, the same sharp wind blows

Petals down, past, around me

So I stay.

I concede under the trees

That I am grateful

To be under

This kind of snow.

Monday 26 April 2021

Imagining This

This patch of grass
Is open to the roads,
The sky, the path -
But I let my limbs sink into the grass,
My knees past the daisies
Directly under the Sun.
The passers by
Can watch me unfold -
Yesterday,
I was one of the
Moving ones,
Imagining this.

Monday 19 April 2021

The Sun

God gifted us the Sun.

I don't know why He hides it some days -

Maybe he doesn't

But when it appears,

I feel the call

Deep from my bones

To be underneath

Such a serene

Energy.

Now

I could not enjoy even the sunniest day

When my mind was ill,

Turned in on me -

I only saw the shadows it cast.

Now I ask my mind to describe the sky -

And while it is occupied,

I raise my face

To the Sun.

Tuesday 13 April 2021

Barefoot among the Bluebells

The Sun is coming –

Spring flowers

In her flame red hair.

Her veil flows down her back,

Becoming a flickering train
Behind her
That turns up the earth as she passes,
Leaving frost thorns burrowed
And snowdrops standing
In their place.
Soon we will be able to walk
Along the ground,
Barefoot among the bluebells.

The Curve

I forget, when stones

Block my way,

That when water flows

Over rocks,

The curve

Catches more light.

Thursday 8 April 2021

Pencils

You have been collecting pencils

Your whole life.

You have enough so far

To colour this scene

The way you want to.

And those you add

To your pencil case

Will be the perfect shades

To mark your future

Masterpiece.

Writing

I am creating

A beautiful picture,

Crafting, using words.

While writing,

I watch my curled-up cat

In the corner

Be her own artwork,

Just by breathing -

Beauty already exists,

Beyond my own efforts

Of imitating.

And yet,

Knowing this,

I want to try -

And keep on writing.

Wednesday 7 April 2021

Lines Haiku

Stones broken and cracked

My feet keep walking over

Searching for straight lines

Snowflake haiku

Ice outfits sparkle

Snowflakes sway to the music

Then bow to Winter

Tuesday 6 April 2021

Snowflake

A few feathery

Flakes of snow

Floated down

In front of

April.

The blossoms, bristling,

Furled each flower -

They would not have

A loose petal

Fall

And be mistaken

For a

Snowflake.

Saturday 3 April 2021

Shapes

I make shapes with my body.
I have lined the horizon,
Saluted the moon and

Looked towards the clouds.

But sometimes,

I move to be small -

Like a circular shell, or

To lower my chin

Away from the world.

By creating forms

True to myself,
They will be different each day -
The slowest form of dance.

Friday 2 April 2021

The Hill

I met the wind

Half-way up the hill -

It whispered possibilities

I gave it my gratitude

Then we parted

Ways,

Moving in different

Shapes

Than before.

Thursday 25 March 2021

Lady Jane Grey

How came I here

Closing Boleyn's own curtains?

I look around, speculative, silent,

The ghost of a crown

Still on my head,

Flickering like the candles

In the dark.

I kneel in prayer

My faith is a fire

Higher than the fireplace flame -

But I am housed in

Treasonous coals.

Tuesday 23 March 2021

The Trees

The trees rebuilt the old stone church.

Their trunks took their places among the pews,

Where the plant-covered pillars used to be.

Leaves entered the window spaces

And wound around the empty panes

That once pictured Eden.

The branches, curious, felt along the wooden carvings of creatures,

Then let the animals in.

And the treetops replaced the high arches,

As they themselves bowed

Their heads down in prayer.

Robin, Singing

Follow me, Robin

When the people come back

And noise returns

When I have to wear

My other self in buildings.

Follow me

You sitting free on branches,

With me looking up

Not thinking about everything

I am doing or have done -

Just feet and roots and sun

And you, singing.

Saturday 20 March 2021

Interval

Pastel skies

And pairs of birds

The Sun appears sometimes,

Soft like ballerina steps -

Previews of the scenes to come.

But the cold still lingers

Fingers are curled into cardigan sleeves.

The interval isn't over

Yet.

Monday 15 March 2021

The Statued Queen

Such statues we,

Accused unjustly

Hold innocence

In stone -

Heavier than

Our crowns

That you made us

Take down,

Only now

To be

Lifted higher

In effigy

For others to see.

Wednesday 10 March 2021

Poetry Haiku

I love poetry

Because just one word can make

All the difference

Understood

The same clouds are drifting

That I saw a minute ago

The light hasn't changed

My feet haven't moved

But I have just read

A simple message from you

And now my day feels different,

So different,

Because you made me feel

Understood.

My Sun and Moon

My cat makes crescent shapes

On the bed

She is my moon,

Soft white light following me

Wherever I go in the dark.

The tiger orange circle

On the chair

Is my sun,

My wake up call in the morning

Hovering over my head.

The next time

I don't feel connected

To the outside, to nature,

I will remember this -

That the lights in the sky

Came down to join me -

That there are also

Worlds inside walls.

The Journey

When I read stories,

There are camp fires

And caves

Or blankets

Or inns -

All are chapters

Not to be missed.

So then,

Why do I find it so hard to see,

For myself

That pauses are powerful,

That resting is still part of

The journey?

Tuesday 9 March 2021

Pinecones

I went to the forest

To gather some words

To bring home

Like the children do

The dried pinecones

To cover in glitter.

Above me the dark green canopy

Was a kaleidoscope -

Shifting triangles of white light

With each movement.

Underneath, the pale brown leaves

Were peppered with acorns

And secret signs of buried treasure

Only the squirrels know.

The stream was excited

Because it rained last night

And I, because more movement

Means more dancing of the light

On surface of the water,

That I watched from the bank

Made of rocks and roots -

And the face of a rat,

Now and then.

I walked back to the tree trunks

Where I did find plenty of pinecones,

But these were the words I put in my pockets to pull out again

And cover in glitter.

Saturday 6 March 2021

The Horse

I cannot see
The Sun
As a chariot -
Even if she was
Sheathed in gold -
For she would not be pulled
By anything.
No, she must be the horse itself -
Her hair of flame
Rippling with her power
That we could only follow,
Being the passengers.

Across The Horizon

I have seen rainbows arch

And fall down waterfalls,

But this twilight sky

Was a rainbow rolled out

Across the horizon

The colours matched exactly -

As though one painter's pallette

Had seeped in

To another's landscape portrait -

Sunset referencing sunlight.

Thursday 25 February 2021

The Vine

The vine
Winds upwards,
With its own energy
Of light
Inside its leaves.
When I am still,
And uninspired,
It invites me
To be a part of
The climb
And creation
Of beautiful things.
To connect -
Just a touch
The hem is enough -
To grow a bud
Along the branches.

Sunday 21 February 2021

While We Drink Tea

Don't you think it's

Enchanting

That we can let an

Orchestra

Into our room

While we drink tea?

Or let birdsong fly

Over the teapot?

That we can bring

The outside in -

Wires and windows

Manoeuvring

Sounds

While the walls stay

Still

But the liquid

Rippling?

That we can drink

In company?

Saturday 20 February 2021

Fresh Air

I never thought

I'd take fresh air for granted

Then the masks came

And the indoor rules

And suddenly

I was gasping.

Creatures of moment

Many animals know

Secrets of serenity

But they won't tell you them.

To learn you must

Walk alongside

A creature of moment -

It is a living kind of knowledge

With no spoken answer -

And yet their peace can be heard.

Rainbow rose

I place my rainbow rose

Against a wall of red brick

So the yellow stands out,

Swirled around violet and vibrant pink

It may seem unnatural

To have inky blue leaves

But the Sun gets the sunflower

Let the rainbow have one, I think.

Monday 15 February 2021

Light blue

A knowing Cheshire Cat moon

Escorted me into the evening.

I marvelled at the light blue hue

After so much darkness and snow.

Is this why he was smiling?

I breathed in a suggestion of Spring

In the air -

Relief into my soul.

I walked under a shy blackbird just

Beginning his nightly song

Who is out there?

Something is awake.

Change will follow.

Tuesday 9 February 2021

The Ghost of Catherine Howard

Snow falls and ice forms

In front of the palace

But the chill is inside

Gliding down the chamber

Her gown ghostly white,

Watched by portraits

Who cannot move

But do not judge her -

She only ever wanted to parade,

To be seen.

Sunday 7 February 2021

Flowers in Winter

The ground is covered in frost.

Underneath, the frozen buds

Are held in glass,

Grass statues.

Indoors I push my little

Rose plant into each slither of sunlight

It smiles at me

It's the least I could do.

I turn my face to the window,

Hold it in the fragile, momentary glow.

I understand the flowers

In Winter, the gratitude.

Saturday 6 February 2021

Evensong

I stepped out of the

Yellow light and

White noise

Into the dark street

Lined with trees.

I had not managed to see the Sun -

This was the best I could do.

But the night blue

Was filled with black shapes

Singing,

Singing into the night -

Shadow songs,

Phantom birds

Making orchestras of branches

Above my head.

I had thought

There was nothing beautiful left of the day by then -

But the evening said: 'Listen'

There is

Everything.

Monday 25 January 2021

The Ballroom

I don't like the cold,

But I love decoration -

The forest dressed

In diamonds,

Inviting everyone to

The ballroom,

To marvel at

The white drapes,

The fashion of the season.

The trees swish their

Borrowed gowns -

They like to be the

Centre of attention

To those who admire them

In any outfit.

Saturday 23 January 2021

Wolves

I am not afraid

To walk through the woods

With a red hood

And a cape

I met the wolves

That ran through

My brain

Once upon a time

And the forest ones

Never scared me

Again.

My quiet one

I don't like loud noises

And neither do little birds

When they alight,

I approach

Slowly -

Even crisp leaves can ruin careful steps

When entering the presence of a small soul

Sometimes

I must stand still for a long time

Human peace is the open door to nature.

I can only write poetry in complete silence.

A pause -

One second to learn trust and new colours,

One more to answer curious eyes -

Then, hurried scratches through earth, shouts and sharp barks behind me

Cut through my moment -

My quiet one

It flies away.

I exhale

As the branch shakes

In unsettled air.

Tuesday 19 January 2021

Once

What parts of paradise
Are you missing,
Looking at the pavements
Or just straight ahead?
On your left is a water rat swimming
By the bank -
Mice in water
Seem incongruous
Yet there he goes!
And yes the trees have no leaves
But all the better
For the bold robin
Who landed right beside you.
I can barely walk,
On the greyest of days,
For all the faces that
Stop me -
And remind me of
The way the world was,
Once.

Thursday 14 January 2021

The Silence of Anne Askew

A woman you destroy, for a woman you need
In your quest for heresy,
You look for the Queen
By pulling each bone out of me
My body screams
But I will not say her name.
You test me with torture, though already condemned
For speaking of scriptures

On the streets and with friends

But I believe these words will live
Long after I am dead
And I will not say her name.

Copyright LJ 2021.

(Anne Askew was a 16th Century Protestant Martyr who was friends with Queen Catherine Parr.)

The Cat and The Pen

I am trying to write some
Pretty or profound thing
When the cat paws at my pen.
I give it to him to play with.
He is happy when he knocks it over,
Pushes it with curiosity on the carpet.
It is then I realise
That this pause on the page,

The action that stopped my writing,
Is the pretty and profound moment
I want to write about.

Copyright LJ 2021

Tuesday 12 January 2021

My Wings

My wings are iridescent.
They sail by reflecting the sky.
Not everyone likes this.
I have been caught many times -
Someone stood on my wings
As if that new height
Would make them fly and glow,
While I was crawling.
The cruel ones do not know
That you cannot soar, cannot shine

By holding any form of light down.

I leave them wondering why.
Even in the dark,
My wings resemble the stars
That cannot be grounded.
So I fly.

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