The Darkness

A regular winter night, as far as winter nights go,

It was terribly cold and there was frost and snow,

When the window blast open and let in a draught,

And I thought I saw a shadow with a walking stick in his grasp,

A man as old as any man could be,

Even the sight of his shadow makes people pee,

They call him the wanderer as he never rests,

He holds a knife against his unearthly chest,

He looks at you in the eye,

And says the infamous phrase that makes children cry,

"I am the man who visits in the night,

Declare this a warning on your kind,

This won't be the last time you see me tonight,

I will come again so be prepared,

Because let's face it, it's not the darkness its self it what lays in it that gets you scared"

So next winter shut your windows tight,

Or someone might visit and give you a fright,

What happens the second time around I hear you wail,

Well no person has made it to tell us that tale,

A Gothic Short Story

The autumn breeze blew across the courtyard, past Will in his lunch break. The wailing wind howled through the air and rippled the water on the lake. Will felt a cold rush down his spine. Mrs.Lockson, the Year 8 teacher, came rushing out. The alarm bell was ringing and the look on her face was disastrous. Mrs.Lockson ushered everyone inside. Underneath the tables, the kids were scared. It was as if you could hear their hearts pounding out of their chests. Down the hall, dead silence. Not a word was spoken. Will looked out of the window and scouted around. Across the courtyard, he couldn’t see anything. What was all this about? Clearly nothing was wrong. The only movement about was the leaves blowing around outside. Still, he sat motionless. Everyone sat there for minutes. Nothing had changed. Maybe the bell was a faulty one. Possibly it was just an accident. Then he realized what was wrong. Footsteps emerged from the hallway, getting closer and closer. Will could hear muttering outside, from two men dressed in black. They started tapping on the door. That tapping turned into punching. That punching turned into slamming. Somebody was angrily slamming on the door, desperate to get in. Then everything went silent again. The handle turned, and the door creaked open...

Nature's Alarm Clock

Today the clock has been replaced. By the sound of birds singing in my honour it seems, never did I hear them properly or give my full attention to their tune.

No background hum, or iPhone trill just the birds playing solo, swooping, serenading in the clear blue freedom of the planet.

The birds reclaim the skies, without competition for space or sound from their metal counterparts in the air, on the street, once moving people and things all over the world.

I want my old life back I know, but perhaps I would rather have blue skies and hear my new wake-up call.

Humans

Humans

The only animal to have fully developed communication,

You hold up signs against wasting with your left hand,

Advocating to ‘save our seas’,

And pour plastic into the ocean with your right.

Humans

You buy land that isn’t for sale,

Fight over who gets to own what belongs to neither of you,

And send other humans to fight your battles,

To die at the hands of each other.

Humans

The artificial apex predators,

Who never climbed from the bottom of the food chain,

But shot at everything higher than you,

Until it all came crashing down at your feet.

Humans

To survive is to win the game of life,

You believe it is not enough to live, to survive,

No, everything else must die.

You must be the only victor.

Humans

The greatest mistake we ever made,

The greatest mistake anyone ever made,

Was not hunting you to extinction

When we had a chance.

Limerick

Most dads are jolly good fellows

Who always get the right memo

Work hard for a living

Keep going never give in

And give everything a good go

A mum is a daughter’s best friend

Will stand by her till the end

Always has her back

You will never catch her slack

Like a knight she will always defend

Daughters they will scream and yell

Just enough to put you through hell

Will do things their own way

To come back and say

I didn’t work it out as you can tell

Sons you could say are quite chill

They keep things straightforward and simple

May put up a fight

But at the end of the night

Won’t hold a grudge to keep you ill

Family is the golden key

That unlocks all of life’s luxuries

The people who care

For you to share

All your highlights and memories