Three Poems by Lynn White

 

A Timely Revolution

 

“I’m late,

I’m late again”,

said the White Rabbit

staring at his pocket watch

with exasperation.

He turned the minute hand back a little

and perused the new time

with satisfaction.

He knew the effect would be limited,

that there would be no revolution

in time

unless 

he could turn back the hands

on all the clocks everywhere,

but it made him feel better

briefly.

He had pondered this issue of time

many times.

He knew that the revolutions of clocks 

and watches were irrelevant

to it’s passing,

which made him feel better 

about his manipulation.

Philosophically speaking,

he knew that he could change the time.

He could break the watch and freeze it.

Break all the wheels that revolved inside.

Smash them to smithereens.

But even then,

even when 

broken,

he knew

the wheels of time would keep turning, 

that even, 

given time, 

there would be no timely revolution.

The wheels would still turn

time after time.

 

St George And The Dragons

 

A long time ago

St George killed all the dragons in England.

All of them,

the black ones, 

the green ones

and the white.

He killed all the dragons in Sweden

and in the Middle East.

He killed all of them,

the black ones,

the green ones

and the white.

But the red dragons defeated him,

hid in the rainy Welsh mountains.

Leapt out and and ambushed him.

Bent his sword with the heat

of their fire.

Ate up his horse,

so that he had to run away,

slipping and sliding over the wet rocks,

into the muddy dense wood

in fear.

Yes, 

the red dragons defeated him

and left him hiding in his cave,

in fear.

So, 

come for a walk with me.

This is the dragon’s country.

They are very shy and secretive these days,

even though St George is long gone

and they have nothing to fear.

Come for a walk with me

and I will show you dragons

when I find them.

I know that

 

it’s only a matter of time.

 

 

A Blue Whale

 

Look at them all 

swimming round me

taunting me 

waving their legs at me 

tickling me

pinching me

and swimming away

constantly taunting me.

No wonder I’m depressed.

What a wheeze to make me

the largest creature on the planet 

need to eat one of the smallest.

Well Joker, I’m not laughing.

Forty million krill a day

I need to eat

according to Wiki.

Yes, I keep up.

I’m well informed

but it doesn’t help me

doesn’t make me feel better.

To add to the insult

I was given a tiny mouth,

too small for the job.

See, I’m hardly a basking shark

swimming round all day

with my mouth open

so they can swim straight in.

No, it’s open and close

open and close

till my jaw aches.

No wonder I’m blue.

 

 

Lynn White lives in north Wales. Her work is influenced by issues of social justice and events, places and people she has known or imagined. She is especially interested in exploring the boundaries of dream, fantasy and reality. She was shortlisted in the Theatre Cloud 'War Poetry for Today' competition and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and a Rhysling Award. Her poetry has appeared in many publications including: Apogee, Firewords, Capsule Stories, Gyroscope Review and So It Goes. Find Lynn at: https://lynnwhitepoetry.blogspot.com and https://www.facebook.com/Lynn-White-Poetry-1603675983213077/