My parents bought
A beautiful farmhouse
At auction
They were lucky
Most local farmers
We’re trying to buy its land
So the house
And the land around it
Went for a song
It looked like
A perfect dolls house
And it was a dream to live in
Some visionary landscape architect
Had planted an avenue
Of line trees
Up the front drive
And scattered numerous bulbs
In the front lawn
Miniature plants
Crocus, iris, daffodil, cyclamen
The front hall
Was flagged with stone
There was a tightly wound
Spiral staircase
Climbing up at the house’s heart
And the guest bedroom
Was known as the velvet room
Because the walls
Were hung with that fabric
In a muted shade of moss green
Imagine it!
It’s the first floor
The two windows
On the left
And my room
Was the top floor
The window
On the extreme right
© Caro Ness 2015

We’ve been employed
To give a hoarding
A facelift
George is on emerald
So he wears a green hat
He’s busy applying
Make-up on the left eye
And Henry’s on the right eye
In an azure hat
Because his eye
Is exactly the same shade of blue
And I am Steve,
I pulled the peachiest job
The lips
Ruby-red
Cupid’s bow
With my hat to match
She is a picture,
Isn’t she?
And we are proud
Of our contribution

© Caro Ness 2015

It’s a cold night
The moon
A steely circle
Sheds its light
Through a gap
In the clouds
It’s a moody night
And we’ve built
A bonfire
To warm us
Against the chill

© Caro Ness 2015

A great bouquet
Fruity
Deep

A great colour
Rich
Ruby

A great taste
Rewarding
And all the above

Pass me a nice
Glass of red
Please

© Caro Ness 2015

I fell in love with you
At the very first glimpse
You were quicksilver
Poetry in motion
A Jack in the box
My exact, male counterpart
I remember you saying
You wanted to still
Be holding my hand at 90
And here we are
60 years married
And still walking like a couple
Newly in love

© Caro Ness 2015

OK!
So I look like
Garfield!
And I have
About as much energy…
So, once I’ve had my nap,
You’d better look ship-shape,
And give me some grub*.
© Caro Ness 2015

* grub = food

The first frost
Crept across the lantern
Like a frozen wave of cold
Jagged shards of ice
Forming round each
Lump and bump
And an elegant whole
Captured
As if by freeze frame photography
Frozen in space and time
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