Alanna McIntyre

Saltdean Brighton England

Alanna McIntyre has written "Rethreading My Life" which was published by Brighton Nightwriters the critiquing group she attends. She used diarised notes and tried to capture the emotions and how she felt after her late husband's suicide. Her preferred medium of writing is poetry and she has run a creative writing group at the Whitehawk Inn for several years and performed her poetry at open mics and on Brighton and Hove Community Radio.

Poem finished on 26th June.2020

 

Positive side of lockdown

People social distancing

yet strangers greeting you

fellow dog walkers', families strolling in the park.

Some become familiar even joking,

“You’re late for an important date!”

as you meet on your daily ritual.

A new raised bed in the Oval

planted with weigelia, buddleia

pansies, marigold, petunias

to provide some colour to the green

with two wooden benches for socializing.

Saltdean tunnel re-painted

with an octopus, seal, dolphin,

turtle, a cormorant diving in the water,

shoals of fish, anemone, jelly fish,

crab a beautiful sea spectacle

rather than a stained flaky wall.

Looking at gardens on my daily exercise 

the cleared bed planted with geraniums

now sporting pillar box red flowers.

Roses bursting from their buds

exude honeyed perfume.

Icelandic poppies off white, lemon yellow,

and zesty orange mixed with love in the mist

whose feathery leaves sport a delicate blue blossom.  

Papery vermillion poppies, peace lilies, elegant and white,

ox eye daisies tall and stately,

ranunculi whose petticoat petals

bring flamed tones to the garden

the aroma of lavender bringing quietude to the mind.

The jackdaw and rook squabbling

seagulls squawking as other birds sing full throated.