Stats - Day 20

poems written = 49

poems written per day = 2.45

poems remaining = 26

required poems per day = 2.6

75PoWriMo - XLIX

reflected glory



vicarious success
is even better than
personal success
due to the added bonus
of knowing someone deserves it

75PoWriMo - XLVIII

occasionally i feel worthwhile



you did this
didn't you
i could tell
normally
it's not as
good as this

75PoWriMo - XLVII

a prayer



father
give me the patience
not to need to
help where i am not needed
and father
give them the ability
not to need to
have put my last prayer to the test

Stats - Day 19

poems written = 46

poems written per day = 2.4211

poems remaining = 29

required poems per day = 2.6364

75PoWriMo - XLVI

she was the mist



you descend form the cooling air
condensing into being
lending a flattering soft focus
reminding me that the background
is unimportant scenery
turning every journey
into a series of surprises
making every turn an adventure
hugging me damp
being all i see

75PoWriMo - XLV

steeling



before a full and busy day
to find five minutes' peace to pray
for strength to face each new morass
perform a mental mise-en-place
itemise foreseen concerns
and prepare for each in tern
is never quite enough to get me through it
but i'd fare much worse if i didn't do it

Stats - Day 18

poems written = 44

poems written per day = 2.4444

poems remaining = 31

required poems per day = 2.5833

75PoWriMo - XLIV

irrational hatred (part three)



gingham and paisley and especially houndstooth
believers that dawson's creek's dialogue's profound truth
the way i'm allowing myself to stagnate
these are a few of my irrational hates

not being warned about triggers or spoilers
overproduction that makes music joyless
the volume of food diners leave on their plates
these are a few of my irrational hates

assumed social skills i have still yet to master
playing a fender, especially a stratocaster
mediocre or worse things that everyone rates
these are a few of my irrational hates

Stats - Day 17

poems written = 43

poems written per day = 2.5294

poems remaining = 32

required poems per day = 2.4615

75PoWriMo - XLIII

peardrops



pungent, sweet
and esoteric
distinctive
aroma of stoops,
park benches
and the top deck of
75
buses late on spring
afternoons



for @RachSmith82 who enjoys in-jokes

Stats - Day 16

poems written = 41

poems written per day = 2.5625

poems remaining = 34

required poems per day = 2.4286

not only have i stumbled past the half-written mark, i have somehow managed to end up ever-so-slightly ahead of schedule

75PoWriMo - XLI

meta-quickie



a quick one
can be satisfactory
but always suspect
you've been a disappointment
(more than usual)

75PoWriMo - XL

i might be slightly high on the fumes of cleaning products



when
even for a moment
you're convinced
that you see your own breath
pouring forth in dayglo streams
like the tiny rainbows on pavement oilslicks
dancing round the kitchen as it diffuses
it may be time
for some fresh air

75PoWriMo - XXXIX

my four step plan



i used to have a plan
a four step plan
i wrote it down
on every surface
i could find
inscribed on almost
everything i owned
set out thusly:
     i)   form a band
     ii)  learn a chord
     iii) write a song
     iv)  change the world
i even wrote a song
to which these steps
repeated mantra-like
formed the chorus
i believed in the plan
the plan was clear
and clearly right
it set out my path
defined my direction
and was my justification
for every one of my
questionable choices

steps one to three
are deceptive
appearing as they do
to be so straightforward
but i was never able
to perform them
to the prerequisite standard
to make the fourth possible

75PoWriMo - XXXVIII

you might be staring into her eyes and clutching her hands but you don't seem to have noticed that she's clearly not that into you



clear-glazed raybans
unusual piercings
immaculate scruffy-blond-hitler hair
pinstriped blazer
tatty knitwear
deep-blue implausibly skinny jeans
you probably imagine yourself
to be a delightful contradiction
but nobody loves a hipster

Stats - Day 15

poems written = 37

poems written per day = 2.4667

poems remaining = 38

required poems per day = 2.5333

75PoWriMo - XXXVII

displacement activity



i made a cat's cradle from an elastic band
but too short, stretched too taut it dug into my hands
more than string so my fingers began to turn blue
til it sprang from my hands and fell onto my shoe

75PoWriMo - XXXVI

squirrel


in some ways
isn't each of us like a squirrel
we hide things without really knowing why
we are essentially vermin only sightly cuter
we are always grateful when a stranger feeds us crisps
we can be surprisingly vicious
very few of us aren't grey



many thanks for the title suggestion go out to the lovely @likecrazypaving

75PoWriMo - XXXV

irrational hatred (part two)




trying to chop things without a big steel knife
awkwardly talking about twitter in real life
the population of the united states
these are a few of my irrational hates


the phrase "really, really" and the misuse of "literally"
the fact that i cant tell a moth from a fritillary
the way my mind dwells on my smallest mistakes
these are a few of my irrational hates

adults who don't know what the singular of dice is
the wilful disobedience of touchscreen devices
everyone's queuing but nobody waits
these are a few of my irrational hates