Boxing Day
The old year blew us westerlies, earth-scented
and lively until the solstice. Now he sighs
out his last five days in a whisper of frost.
We walk in the park
round artificial water and landscaped hills.
Sleek birds at home in cold carve widening wakes
that stay too long unruffled by any breeze.
The car park is full
whole tribes emerge and walk slowly through the mist
kids tagging along on wheels from ToysRUs
like some necessary migration. Not too soon
New Year’s wind and rain.
Sarah Watkinson has been writing poetry since 2012, following a career in science. Her work has won prizes and appeared in magazines including Antiphon, Ink Sweat and Tears and The Rialto. A debut pamphlet is due out in February 2017 with Cinnamon Press. She co-organises SciPo https://jennylewis.org.uk/2016/06/15/scipo-2016/ Website: https://sarahcwatkinson.wordpress.com/
Time of goodwill
The elf on the shelf won’t stop staring
we bought him from marks & sparks
and he seems to turn
a few degrees each evening
I first noticed on the 5th December
when his glare moved
towards the newly constructed tree
we got from b&q
But lately he covets my oak furniture land coffee table
while we sleep he uses the dusters from waitrose
to slide around its surface
I’ve noticed during the day
how the sabatier kitchen knives
have tiny hand prints on their blades
and wonder if he has been juggling them
or testing the edges for their sharpness
It was just three days ago
exactly one week before Christmas
we awoke to find him clinging
to our kenwood blender
the kids said he was trying
to make a smoothie
but I wonder
if his interests were more sinister
He even surprised us one morning by cooking
using our homer simpson donut maker
which we received last year from aunt carol
the burning smell stirred us
It is now only three days
until he leaves
And I can’t sleep –
I shall buy a sleep aid lamp
from lakeland tomorrow
that will help
and some nice cushions
maybe a new elf
Stephen Daniels is the editor the Amaryllis Poetry and Strange Poetry websites. His poetry has been published or is upcoming, in numerous magazines and websites. You can find out more at www.stephenkirkdaniels.com Twitter:@stephendaniels