Serotinal By Dawn McLachlan Exhausted by summer we cross the lawns Crisp, the grass beneath our feet And tanned our hands against the spade As turned earth reveals a hidden dark heart Of soft dawn-fallen rain Morning mists cling to the river now Water rolling low and slow in summer’s wake Pulling the skirts of autumn ever closer With the first blush of leaf red hinting At season change in subtle hues By day the air hums with work of the fields And uncounted bales stud golden hills While clouds of gulls rise behind the plough Under skies that ache the soul with their enormity Cresting the rise of the land The long dark creeps ever closer On blackberry tanged crosswinds Mingled with sharpness of bonfire potential But the memory of summer lingers on Through nights as cool as mischief

Random #tuesdaypoem
#justbecause
#poets #poetry #poetsofbluesky #poemsaboutlife #naturepoems #poemsforall

Once an astronaut Dawn McLachlan When I was deemed too old to fly they gave me a clock and said goodbye and all that I had left was time so I sat and watched it turn Tired of waiting for something more I bought a cabin on a deep lake shore and settled to let myself grow old dreaming of times long past But on perfect nights when the pale clouds fled and darkness leaked from the skies and bled into all the forest around my home I went down to the lake alone When the breeze is gone and the night is still I dip my oars in black water until I row out beyond the reach of all and look to the skies above I think of those who went before brave souls risking everything to explore Mariners watching out for land as they sailed the blackened seas I wonder then if they too yearned with aged bones and long rest earned for times gone past, out there alone with stars guiding them home

This poem was written for an anthology of #spacepoems for young people. The first version wasn’t quite right so didn’t make the cut. An updated version here for #poemsabout #blacksky

#poetsofbluesky #poetry #poemsforkids #poemsforall #poetryforall #PoemAltText

Blackberry Days A haiku set by Dawn McLachlan We cross the strandline The curved beach a golden band wedding woods to sea Stepping into shade Where air is blackberry rich Such earthy perfume I am young once more Skin bejewelled with scratches Fingers and lips stained My bowl is so full And the long autumn shadows Will guide our way home

My #FridayPoem this week comes from a prompt from a friend’s niece who suggested I write a poem about “a memory inspired by a smell”
This was a pleasure to write.

#poemsabout #naturepoetry #PoemAltText #poets #poetrysociety #poemsforall #poemsforlife #poetrycommunity #HaikuAltText #haikusociety

Image shows a book titles “Space - Royal Observatory Greenwich Poetry Book” The cover of the book is blue with stars. Extra text on the book says “chosen by Gaby Morgan” The background of the image is an oil painting of clouds and sky by Dawn McLachlan

Publication Day!
Delighted to have 3 new poems in this anthology celebrating 350 yrs of the Royal Observatory Greenwich
Pub by @panmacmillan.bsky.social
#poems #poetsofbluesky #poetry #poemsforall #amwriting

Arboretum By Dawn Mclachlan First we woke among the birch and flourished like the new While rivers flowed and pastures greened and willow dipped into the stream May blossom tumbled through the thorn True love in garlands white was borne Soon infant mewling filled ash boughs as seedlings reached for sun Beneath the oak we learned to dance hearing elder’s tune advance with hope still bound in aspen crowns But Sorrow’s lessons must be learned How quickly Holly Kings returned Old bones reach for the hazel now and brush the room with rowan’s broom for gilded leaves that turned too soon Our time will come to wear the elm and sleep beneath the yew ©Dawn Mclachlan

Friday Poem

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#naturepoetry #PoemAltText #witchpoems

We Have Learned From The River by Dawn McLachlan In meanders we may appear to gently drift along but we will carve out our route with patience and persistence We have worn the jagged smooth and borne the unbearable load Glittered like cast stars upon such Stygian depths Flowing ever forward carrying the unseen tributaries to create the wide ocean We will prevail because we have learned from the river

Friday Poem

A moment for anyone who needs it

#transrightsarehumanrights🏳️‍⚧️ #poetryislove #fridaypoem #transwomenarewomen #courage #poemsforall #poemalttext

It’s out! 🤩 a.co/d/9MWBH4B

#poemsforchildren #poemsforall
#poetry #childhood
#whimsy #cherishedmemories