observant skies

September 15, 2020 / kate58 / Leave a comment

from the tops of old buildings
mossy gargoyles grin down
graffiti on the sides of fences
head constantly swivelling round

old finials and spires
mix with ancient weather vanes
hills in different shades of green
house heather borne of cold spring rains

she walks the cement pavements
tap-taps on cobblestone
followed only by the shadows
in a town where the sun once shone

a Dundee Sunday storm

June 29, 2020 / kate58 / Leave a comment

it was 16:05
when the sun came out
a huge smile crossed her face
she almost gave a shout

her sweet peas had survived
Mother Nature’s latest storm
‘n it smelled like Sunday dinner
inside where she was safe ‘n warm

another day of Skyping
all the people that she loves
cyber hugs ‘n kisses
cell phone’s electronic shoves

how did mankind end up here?
she struggles to understand
the hatred, the dissension
hallmarks of a once proud land

unrealistic

April 22, 2020 / kate58 / Leave a comment

I wanna go to Dobbies
drink whisky in a pub
kick back with my student friends
in their wee flats in The Hub

I wanna go to Broughty Ferry
walk barefoot on the beach
but busses ain’t a good idea
so that wish is out of reach

I wanna briskly walk
down a crowded Dundee street
hear the sound of other voices
the pavement taps of other feet

I wanna a girly night
with my Scottish bestie
four weeks of lockdown
has me growing testy

I’m tired of watching others
through a tenement window
lonely walks into town
in the cold spring sun’s glow

I miss my family
I wanna get on a plane
I need to see – I need to hug
my sisters & brother again

feel like I’m gonna I’m cry
feel like I’m gonna scream
how I wish I could wake up
& find this was all a dream

locked down on Nelson Street

April 19, 2020 / kate58 / Leave a comment

the sun has not been cancelled
it rises every morn
birds sing outside her window
the world has been reborn

her bed must be made
there’s coffee to brew
she gazes at her garden
drenched in April dew

sausage for breakfast –
or maybe bacon?
she lights a cigarette
ignoring a heart that’s aching

she eats, does the dishes
opens curtains & blinds
books & CDs she realigns

she wanders through the lounge
high-ceilinged blue & green
sunshine on earth-toned highlights
a picture-perfect scene

next door is her kitchen
brighter than a summer day
a man stands at a counter
powerfully built, with hair of gray

he bathes her in safety
deals with her fears
makes her laugh
until she’s in tears

how she loves it:
that hug, the kiss hello
& how when she acts stupid
he’s quick to tell her so

a memorable first date
meals, weddings, death
sleeping & awakening
to the sound of his breath

bowls of fruit, flower bouquets
a Valentine’s card
the reassuring steadfast presence
whenever life gets get hard

life in lockdown – still, she’s happy
with the choices she has made
spooning, they fall asleep
in the cruel pandemic’s shade

city centre, Dundee

December 4, 2014 / kate58 / 3 Comments

the city centre’s all shrouded in mist
it’s struggling to awake
the tops of church spires by clouds are kissed
the damp chill makes me shake

rowdy schoolboys chase giggling girls
a newsman sets up in the square
all the streetlamps shine like pearls
as cold wind caresses my hair

my heels click on the cobblestones
while I dig in my leather bag
I hear two competing mobile phones
as I light up my first fag

the Christmas lights shine brightly
Debenhams has a temptin’ display
but I’m skint so I skip past it –
no shoppin’ for me today!

before the storm

November 15, 2014 / kate58 / Leave a comment

in vain I try to capture
the colour of the Dundee sky
but it’s dead hard to describe
this haunting hue that fills the eye

a mix of cerulean & jade
reminiscent of the Aegean Sea
that brings the taste of sun ‘n sweat
hurtling back to me

I struggle with my efforts
to paint with words the Dundee sky
my dictionary was nae help
nor was the thesaurus nearby

but in the end it does nae matter
this failure to capture what I see
for the colour of Dundee’s stormy sky
will always be a part of me

’tis the season

November 4, 2014 / kate58 / Leave a comment

the council workers have been busy
removin’ all signs of Halloween
of the skeletons an’ pumpkins
not a trace can be seen

now toys are in the windows
Rudolph pullin’ Santa’s sleigh
endless adverts swamp the telly
on bargain hunters they seek to prey

take a stroll down the High Street
sale signs assault your eye
all promisin’ deep discounts
enticin’ you to buy

how I miss the good ol’ days
before Christmas turned commercial
when the color of tree
was not a matter controversial!

Dundee fog

September 18, 2014September 18, 2014 / kate58 / Leave a comment

as greedy as a hog
is the Dundee fog
it swallows everything in sight:
buildings, people, busses, light
white ghost with a silent hiss
causing cars to hit ‘n miss
floats thru town in swatches swirly
makes her hair all damp ‘n curly
‘n yet she loves the gauzy shroud
that conceals her from the crowd
here she hides from grief & fears
in Dundee fog she disappears

wildwind garden

September 9, 2014 / kate58 / Leave a comment

on a little side street
in bonnie Dundee
is a place most folks’ll never see
gotta have an invite to gain entry
to the wondrous wildwind garden

it’s a secret place
hugged by mossy walls
alive with dancing waterfalls
where watches freeze & all time stalls
in the wilderness of wildwind garden

fruit trees groan
with the weight of pears & plums
wildflowers sway as the gardener hums
& everyone takes life just as it comes
in the world of wildwind garden

the amorous couple in the Tesco aisle

July 27, 2014July 27, 2014 / kate58 / Leave a comment

listen my children
here’s a tale to make you smile
‘bout some kids I saw
in the Metro Tesco aisle

young couple in their early 20s
out for a bit of fun
& totally oblivious
to everyone

punk rockers they were –
or maybe they were Goth
both had spiky hair & piercings
fully covered in black cloth

the girl’s hair was magenta
the boy’s a brilliant sky blue
& they gazed upon each other
with eyes that shone like dew

they stood like perfect statues
in the middle of the floor
hands clasped & lips locked
while shoppers ambled round the store

some shoppers looked upon them
with mingled scorn and disgust
but they didn’t bother me:
I rather admired their lust

it’s a natural emotion
neither dirty nor stealthy
they were happy showing their love,
so to me, that made them healthy

I paid for my purchases
pretending not to watch them kiss
hoping my face did not reveal
my envy at their bliss

as I walked up the hill alone
on my face was a wistful smile
rememberin’ my days as part of a couple
like the one in the Tesco aisle

	Colorful Sisters on wish I may, wish I might
	YouLittleCharmer on the good of the many
	onbecomingmyself on grievous losses
	kate58 on on the cusp
	grumpygorman on on the cusp

just another girl

love. lust. life. death. & the search for God

Dundee

observant skies

a Dundee Sunday storm

unrealistic

locked down on Nelson Street

city centre, Dundee

before the storm

’tis the season

Dundee fog

wildwind garden

the amorous couple in the Tesco aisle

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