Three Days

three days, three days, it’s only three days

I keep telling myself, over and over

in so many ways, I keep telling myself

~ it’s only three days

I try to distract my wandering mind

to make myself see, I must still live life

not pause for three days and shut myself away

I must go on, not hide to feel safe

harder and harder, that’s how it feels

I watch time tick by, clicking my heels

paranoia grows deeper, gnawing at me

my mind goes mad, it’s her that I need

tell me it’s over and now it’s no days

tell me it’s over, that she comes home today

Poetryman

Copyright © 2011 by Mike Sutcliffe

The Poets Tree

Sometimes I sit beneath The Poets Tree,

where legends linger, not yet me.

Their passage earned with words so pure,

their names etched in, their place assured.

Byron, Tennyson, Burns and Poe,

I feel their words course through my soul.

They bring me comfort when I am alone,

lost in my mind ~ where poems grow.

Breathing deep their scent floods in,

my senses ache from deep within,

of powerful imagery, rhythm and rhyme,

lost in their words from another time.

If I dare to look up perhaps I will see,

a new green shoot, that may one day be me.

Poetryman

Copyright © 2011 by Mike Sutcliffe

Of Musings, Love and Life ~ Now on Amazon!

Welcome all to the next instalment of the release of my new book ~ Of Musings, Love and Life! In my previous post it had just been released via a local book shop, who very kindly agreed to stock it on my behalf, and I'm pleased to say that I've had to replenish their stock twice already in the past couple of weeks, which is really encouraging!

I'm sure that I'm not the first, and certainly won't be the last, aspiring author to have released a book and wonder just exactly how it will be received. You consume yourself for months and months, hour after hour to make sure that the poems you've written are as meaningful as they can be, and whilst you are completely wrapped in it and are convinced, from your own perspective, that it is a really great piece of work, ultimately that is you appraising your own work, so quite naturally you're going to be slightly biased!

So in reality all that you can do is to rely on the people that visit your blog, read your poems, and ultimately feel that the snippets of work they have seen give enough justification to buy your book. And that is what I'm now asking you all to do. It would be great to see feedback on the poems on here, on Twitter and also by the book sales that I get.

Should you feel that you want to buy the paperback, it's available now on Amazon via the following link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0957023804/ref=sc_pgp__m_A1HEBM1XAZG5YE_1?ie=UTF8&m=A1HEBM1XAZG5YE&n=&s=&v=glance

Amazon's own listing shows as not yet released, for some strange reason, and out of stock. As the author I have listed it myself, which is the link above, and is in stock and released now! If you have any issues trying to place the order, or have made an order and would like the copy signing, then drop me an email at poetryman@hotmail.co.uk and I will make sure that your order is dealt with.

In the near future I will get around to converting it into and ebook, although my limited technical skills may need a little updating first!

May I just say thanks very much to all who drop by and read the poems on my blog, and of course to all who buy the book.

The Beach

fading over the eternal horizon

to dance in far off playgrounds

auburn flames streak outward

fighting the days near end

rolling from the white horses manes

the touch of Poseidon’s breath

paints lips with drifting, salty air

lost in the ebb of moon pulled tides

no words break the crashing silence

our hands mingle

Poetryman

Copyright © 2011 by Mike Sutcliffe

Unconditional Love

It is as deep as it can be

when I look into their eyes

I see them with a smile

I see myself inside

What is this magic

that brought them to me

so perfect in every way

how can it be

How they were made

I wonder in awe

it was me and her

but there must be more

Such perfection I see

so there has to be

so much more than just us

so much more than just me

When they look at me

it is all they can see

I see it in their eyes

their love for me

I smell them, I watch them

growing so tall

I pick them back up

and never let them fall

It is simple and honest

straightforward no more

the love of your child

is the World, it is all

For they are my future

my hope and my life

I will love and protect them

to the day that I die

Poetryman

Copyright © 2011 by Mike Sutcliffe

Anthology of Poetry ~ Of Musings, Love and Life

This is the first time that I have written on my blog without loading a poem, which for some may be disappointing, however it is with great excitement that my first book has been published, an anthology of poetry titled "Of Musings, Love and Life". I know the old saying that everybody has at least one book in them, but I can finally say that mine is no longer in me, it is now in black and white, bound into a book that is now on sale. It is a slightly surreal feeling, but one that brings me great pride when, as I seem to do almost hourly, I flick through the pages with a broad grin across my face!

It has been 8 months since I decided to write the book, and it has been a fantastic journey, not just writing the actual poems, but also learning all of the elements required to get the idea into print and create a finished product. I know I am slightly biased, but it really is beautifully produced.

In the book you will find some very old favorites; The Lonely Tree, The Passing of Ages, Unconditional Love, Smoke Filled Rooms, Lay Down Your Guns, The Little Things and many more. I do hope that you will take the time to buy a copy and enjoy reading the poems as much as I have enjoyed writing them.

Initially the book is available via The Grove Bookshop http://www.grovebookshop.com/ telephone +44(0)1943 609335 or email to: info@grovebookshop.com. In due course it will be listed on Amazon and also made available in ebook format.

For now please enjoy the book and my thanks to all who stop by and read the poems on my blog, and hopefully to all those who will buy the book.

By the fire

The flames glinted wildly, their reflection in my eyes,

all the laughter and the tears, so much joy in my life.

From the love and the loss, to the beauty of my child,

sometimes mellow, sometimes sad, and yet often it was wild.

When the flames began to settle, my future found its way,

in the beauty of her love, we had forever and a day.

Another was still waiting, we lived it to the full,

never parted for a moment, always laughter, never dull.

The flames flickered gently, it was dusk no longer dawn,

in my peace I could reflect, my face was tired and so worn,

as I came to see my past, with a smile behind my eyes,

all the joy my life had brought, sometimes tears fell from my eyes.

Then the flames no longer flickered, they had faded into ash,

yet forever in my memory, I had lived once in the past.

Copyright © 2011 by Mike Sutcliffe