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Writer's pictureMaxine Linnell

not all who wander...

Updated: Aug 26



sometimes poems are mysteries like this one

although there's something

ordinary in here

maybe less inhibited


it's long and might be short too

it's been a while


life has interrupted

how and where to live.



low red moon split by cloud

wide wild bird vee heading away

to winter wherever winter might be

end


wet outdoor cushions

ken


crush of fighting brambles

studded with berries

need


strawberries shelter under weeds

keen


how does life live itself when we’re not looking?

eke


where did fourteen, twenty, fifty-one years go

and where are they now?

keened


one sparrow eats and lives, now it’s turned into six

den


the postman smiles through the window and helps the day

he leaves presents and cards when it’s nobody’s birthday

maybe for someone else but with my name on a label

knee


in the morning it will be different for sure

which may be better or not

it takes time to know that

time and listening

kneed


a joy of boys lost in teenage grunting

urn


how does time matter except to clocks

tern


a tablespoon of turmeric glows

rent


there’s bits in the sink

where will they go

when there’s no compost bin

ten


it’s autumn and I haven’t caught up with summer

err


was that a forgotten or a remembered?

net


do I still know how to make a decision?

I think so but I would wouldn’t I

must I ask and swallow when I’m told

or take the risk and be scared

is not knowing a sign a symptom

is it confidence creeping away

not capacity

runt


is there anyone who’ll catch me?

okay i’ll do it

then make tea

nut


the apples have fallen    bright green and nibbled


under the tree    the chicken shadows


there are ways    to time travel


tomorrow

nurture


on tuesday we will birthday

on sunday I’ll remember benn

and love them both the same

different as strawberries and celery

both essences of themselves

and all of us and all the others round them

round us and every one of us different the same

here or a bit less here and here even though

return


snatches of radio music eartha kitt

children they thought were backwards

like nerdlihc or maybe drenchil or lidrench

eartha is a great name i think

rune


when i get up to pee in the night

i won’t play a word game

run


and everything and everyone will sleep

the streetlights switched off to let birds sleep too

instead of putting laudanum in feeders like we did

when lights blared all night

for drunks and nightworkers to find themselves

and birds hid under their wings


that's not true about the laudanum

but I like it anyway

such a calming word in the mouth


help us stay safe asleep till day

pulls its way out of night


the low red sun sinks

split by cloud and it will be the same

and completely changed over

again for tomorrow


not all who wander are lost.




24.8.24





176 views4 comments

4 Comments


Beautiful, poignant and thought provoking as ever. Always look forward to reading as many of poems as I can. Shared treasures of your life combined with the honest reality that we all try to maintain xx

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So touching and beautiful. Your wisdom still shines. xxx

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Oh Maxine. I love this. So many moments I connect with. So many memories and I see you, hear you when I read it. And suddenly I am at Kate’s wedding and Benn is there and it’s snowing.

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Replying to

Of course - and do you remember when he and Kate came to our graduation? xx

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