Art by Frank Messa. Site design by Artisan Studio.
© Debrah Kayla Sterling & Early A.M. Poetry, 2002

Paul is an english teacher in Newcastle, England. He writes in minimalist styles of poetry, taking influences from traditional and contemporary haiku/senryu and any other image based styles of writing. Visit Beauty and Sadness for more poetry.

Stradivari by morning

His ribs are strings
with every breath they're taut
against his skin; in this sun
his chest is wooden, the body
of a violin.

The sun in her hair
is resin on a bow.

Monsieur Monster

"Monsieur!
You monster!
Your bulbous head sits
on the summit
of your thin glass body.
Your tentacles are
stroking my leg,
you brute! I'll choke you with
my thumb and finger,"

she contemplated this
at the dinner party
whilst watching the man
opposite her
(whose foot was rubbing hers)
through the glass
of red wine she swirled
between her thumb
and finger.

The Dragonflies

she paints jasmine vines
over the canvas
white petals flower
 
the smell of the
painted branches
flickering colour

on a dragonfly wing
of beating fabric
a whirlwind begins
paraffin burning
in the lanterns
attracts dragonflies

Equals

I carried you piggyback from the taxi
to my house.
Span around to scare you,
but you laughed.
Sat you down on the side of the bin,
and opened the door.
You took off your brown scarf,
your black coat,
your white cardigan,
then walked through to the kitchen.
Took the pen from the notice board,
drew a heart and wrote
m + p
inside it.
Arms around your waist,
we kissed,
you whispered something,
which I heard,
but I still asked you to say again,
you replied
"you heard".