A Poetry Showcase for Ceinwen E Cariad Haydon

Wild Cleansing

I lie in warm places on prickled turf,
stare up into cyan skies, drift and gather wool.
I swim in cool streams, bob in currents, 
surf downstream. I discover waterfalls,
take fresh showers, bathe in ponds 

and rinse smeared grease 
from my mind’s grimed pane. 

By the River Tyne

Mist drizzles low light grey.
Her cable-stitched, black beanie
absorbs damp from the cold air,
and from her curly, silvered hair.

She’s walked five miles, briskly –

intent on keeping warm. Her gloved hands
touch rough-barked trunks of bare trees.
Her eyes follow waterfowl and other creatures.
Her feet take her familiar path without question. 

She rambles each day, with few surprises
and great pleasure, wandering in all weathers. 
Her trips keep hope alive, in Covid times:
help her lose herself, mentally meandering.

Splash! Splash! Splash! 

Startled she swivels, boots grating on gravel.
A swimmer, today … surely no one would.
She stares, a dark mound rises, disappears.
Is this someone on the edge, who’s had enough...

She holds her breath, hears asthmatic wheezing: sees
another rush of spray, another brash and reckless Splash!
A honk, a prima-donna roll, a reel around in circles.

Then all is still. She bends her head. Blessed.

A cyclist passes on the dual track, Guess what, 
she shouts at his back, I’ve seen a seal, today. 
He nods, and rides away to somewhere else.

                  Longings

          Your face shines through glass,
            dazzles my eyes. Still waiting
                for lockdown to end.
                          *
              Time difference synced:
      spare words pulse love’s overflow.
            Transatlantic voices crack.
                       *
              Birthday party plans.
     Mama, will Granny come round?
      Mama, is she cross with me?
                    *
     Your brave doorstep smiles:
 your stoic words say you’re fine,
    your lips tremble otherwise.
                 *
          Music makes her cry.
   Memories of hugs and smiles –
      ghosts echo absent comfort.
               *
       Long allotment days 
   return with nesting swallows.
Gardeners drink distanced toasts.


[Katauta]

Ancient Sisters

Your pearl-cast eyes look outwards 
into dark glass, no-one looks back.
Your flared skirts fray, stray threads 
spool away. Your thin-soled shoes,
tread on snowy pavements, seep ice
into your veins. Your tor’shell comb
claws and scrapes your hairless scalp

lined with raised scars from falls. 
Your hand trembles, finds mine. 
You kindle my love, find my warmth. 
Your mind regains my lost focus 
in the long-shared space between us.


Yellow Crocus

Last March a yellow crocus caught my eye,
and balmy winds sprung dreams of summer days.
I didn’t snap its beauty on my phone,
I believed better blooms would follow.
By Easter, old tiles had blown off my roof,
grim clouds smudged sun’s rays clean out of my mind.

I thought I’d use lockdown to clear my mind,
create new furnishings soft on the eye.
On grey days, water found holes in my roof
and my intentions proved hard to follow.
Yellow crocus yearnings mocked many days,
I wished I had an image on my phone

I wasted time, doom-scrolling on my phone,
until despondency silted my mind.
Concentration fled, no lead to follow,
distracted by whatever snatched my eye.
Yellow crocus’s absence grimed my days
and dust settled, blown through my hole-strewn roof.

Nightly, I stargazed – used gaps in my roof
to capture yellow flowerings on my phone.
Astral blossoms, crocus ghosts, softened days.
Gentled, I reassembled my sad mind –
started to notice, wipe tears from my eyes,
reached out, touched, saw loving kindness follow

Our old maps are now useless to follow,
I must hone new skills, learn to mend my roof.
Resilience requires a steady eye,
I’ll record my progressions on my phone
and limit news-scrolling that wounds my mind. 
Yellow crocus’s inspire hope these days.

Fierce times have coursed through this last year’s long days,
now another spring will burst and follow.
Yellow crocus’s grow, light up my mind.
Soon I’ll mix with friends beneath my good roof,
we’ll leave Zoom behind, arrange dates by phone,
value fine treats nature gifts to our eyes.

Flowering days with a watertight roof,
support hope to follow. Pics on my phone,
nudge my mind, but never replace my eyes.


4 Poems from Ceinwen E Cariad Haydon

Bio: Ceinwen E Cariad Haydon [MA Creative Writing, Newcastle, UK, 2017]
Ceinwen lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and writes short stories and poetry. She has been widely published in web magazines and in print anthologies and is a Pushcart and Forward Prize nominee. She is developing practice as a participatory arts facilitator and believes everyone’s voice counts.
@CeinwenHaydon