brief poems

the chill came suddenly,
down the chimney,
like a bolt of lightning,
it began in the kitchen,
following the crash,
it moved fast,
twisting up our lives,
the central heating
emitted no heat,
the gas fire
no longer warmed our feet.

the fridge became far too cold,
how many times defrosted,
i do not know
the oven failed to cook a thing,
the steak was always rare
it spread so far, it reached the stair,
sheets of ice for us to tread
it reached the bedroom floor,
the carpet became cold to touch,
a sheet of frost spread over our lives.

there’s no way out,
the chill will follow,
facing the trial
with no defence
the ice will spread,
reach us all
it’s midsummer’s day,
the fire is on
we are imprisoned
in a block of ice,
becoming less informal
every-day…

we will no longer face the chill,
we will no longer radiate ice
it’s over, the chill defrosts
we can return to the warmth.

More at https://jimbellamy.simplesite.com.