Signing up to free courses in lockdown

There are a lot of virtual free courses at the moment.  I recently found one that explained how to write poetry.  As I have been trying to write poetry for at least fifteen years, a course covering this was probably a good thing!

This was written on VE Day,  I watched some old television footage and missed those who have gone before.  The title was supposed to be The View from Here.  I called it Nostalgia.

Nostalgia

Old white rose in the garden, sweet and pungent, I can

feel fiery sun burning my feet.

Roses in summer – hot days, security, cold

ice cream in a bowl, chimes from an ice cream van.  

Brown knees. 

M & D, the void left behind, 

weaning abruptly torn apart, their voices gone, and I am 

trying to seam my jagged skin.  

Silence.  

Through the blueprint I see

Dad digging in the garden, spreading seaweed on the earth.  

Our asbestos garage with chrysalis in the eaves. 

Mum grasps a silver teapot, hot tea, hot sun always,

In dreams.

Sleepy quiet sunny days of rhubarb and sugar, peas stolen

from the vine, 

voices drifting over gardens sharing

stories and laughter.