Poems

The time has come, the term has ended,
Another academic year descended,
Minds full of knowledge, confidence grown,
A newfound sense of self they own.

It’s Mum’s time now, six weeks to fill,
Six weeks to keep them learning still,
Six weeks of fun, six weeks of zest,
Let’s make this summer the very best.

Let’s grab a pen, let’s find some paper,
Let’s make a plan for now and later,
Sanity, we must preserve it,
A list is surely most deserved.

Schedule the park, maybe take the bus,
A colour-coded list’s a must,
We’ll categorise the days and weeks,
Then smooth the edges, make some tweaks.

The calendar’s a work of art,
Every day’s a brand new start,
The children won’t just be amused,
They’ll make memories they’ll never lose.

The weather? Oh that’s no bother,
We’ll splash through rain like any other,
Too much sun, let’s hit the beach,
We’ll build a den, ice cream for each.

And then before you know it Mum,
The Summer Holidays are gone,
And in their wake, they leave their mark,
Adventure starts with just one spark.

They won’t remember every plan,
Or every place that summer ran,
They’ll simply know beyond compare,
The greatest gift was you were there.

Cancer, you’re a dickhead,
You turned my world around,
You hoped that I was weak,
And that I’d break into the ground.

Cancer, you’re a dickhead,
You’re a cruel and twisted soul,
A single cell that multiplies,
And tries to take control.

Cancer, you’re a dickhead,
You don’t care who you attack,
Young or old, it makes no odds,
You never once look back.

Cancer, listen up, it’s time we had a chat,
See, there’s something you forgot, a tiny little fact,
I’ve been fighting since before you came, before you had a name,
I’ve already faced my darkest days, the bruises and the shame.

So don’t stay with me too long, I don’t think we’ll co-exist,
I’ve no room for you, no space to give, no place for you to rest,
Okay, I’ll give you just five minutes, where I’ll wallow and I’ll cry,
Then I’ll pick myself back up … give tomorrow one more try.

You hoped that you would win, that you’d claim another life,
I don’t know why you picked on me, see I’m ready for a fight,
I’ll fight till I can’t stand … then I’ll fight sat on my arse,
Cancer, you’re a dickhead, if you thought I’d quit that fast.

I hope the battle won means that I have won the war,
See I don’t ever want you back – I’ve closed and locked the door,
I’ve bolted it quite tight you see, there’s no more to be said,
Because you are, without a doubt … an actual dickhead!

Pride comes before a fall they say,
Our ego fails to shy away,
Its grip so tight, its might so strong,
It leads us where we don’t belong.

Greed joins in now, it takes control,
Whispering of things to own,
“You need this car, you need this cake”,
From dawn to dusk, it stays awake.

Lust charges in, it steals the show,
A fire hidden far below,
It turns our heads, it grabs our heart,
And slowly tears our thoughts apart.

Envy sits within the dark,
It cowers small, a tiny spark,
It whispers “Why not you as well”,
And pulls our joy beneath its spell.

Gluttony doesn’t wait its turn,
It storms right in with no concern,
A hunger never truly fed,
Its noise so loud inside our head.

Wrath crashes through, a hate so strong,
It twists our senses into wrong,
A beast so loud we cannot name,
With anger wild untamed by shame.

Sloth watches on, beyond concern,
It stifles slow and heavy yawns,
It settles soft, it dims the light,
And fades away through day and night.

The Seven Deadly Sins are thus,
They live in every one of us,
Through stories told and lessons learned,
We face the fires by which we’re burned.