by Sarah Priest
Love, Life and Death in a Teacup
Sarah Priest
Austin Macauley Publishers
Love, Life and Death in a Teacup
About the Author
About the Book
Dedication
Copyright Information
Acknowledgements
Part 1
Moments
Sunflower
Mother
September
Raindrop Reflections
Bête Noire
Annie May
Jasper
My Beautiful Broad Beans
Rose
Yearning
Pansy
New Beginnings
A Pot of Gold Lies Undisturbed
Last Tree Standing
Undisturbed
Secret Rendezvous
World’s End
Entity
By Your Side
Christmas
Brief Times
Waiting
Love Affair
Farewell and Forever
The Last Time
Jealous Heart
The Man That I Miss
Forgotten Life
How Many Times
Summer
In My Element
The Light Is Failing
Let Me Be
Tomorrowland
Emperor’s Clouds and Mist
Love in a Teacup
Part 2
A Woman in a Tortoise Shell
Clouds
Devil in a Sponge
Hope
Life Is but a Blink of an Eye
We Are Human
Love It
Monster in the Wardrobe
Pensions
Sick Water Tank
Skyped Love
Somewhere
The Love Witch
Tomato in a Cake Tin
Sanctuary
The Second-Hand Bookshop
Death in a Teacup
What Is Love?
For All the Days
Forever Lost
I’ve Lost My Mum to Dementia
About the Author
Sarah Priest lives in Surrey. She always thought there was more to life than pensions. Her love of gardening, nature, films—especially sci-fi—and tea have greatly influenced her first collection of poems.
About the Book
Love, Life and Death in a Teacup is Sarah’s first collection of poems. It tells a story of hope, passion and loss, encompassing her sanctuary, the allotment, falling in love and watching the slow demise of her mother’s mind to dementia. All these moments in time have been savoured by the quintessential pastime of drinking tea.
Dedication
To the man I met the day the world was going to end.
Copyright Information
Copyright © Sarah Priest (2018)
The right of Sarah Priest to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781788481021 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781788481038 (Hardback)
ISBN 9781788481045 (E-Book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2018)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd™
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Angela Brassett-Harknett, BSc (Hons) and MA (Hons), who helped me on my path to recovery and uncovered my hidden talent for writing poetry; I will be forever grateful.
Chris for encouraging me to read, especially the classics; my big sister who has always been there for me, and my dad for looking after me.
I would also like to thank the team at Austin Macauley for giving me this opportunity to publish my work and to share my new-found passion with others.
Part 1
Moments
“Hello babe,” he smiled at me
As I looked into his deep brown eyes
We could have been anywhere
Chatting away like old friends
Yet, we were at the supermarket checkout isle!
He passed me my shopping; as I put it away
He had no interest in what he was doing and neither did I
I did not know his name and he did not know mine
Just sharing a few moments until we said goodbye.
Sunflower
Bright and bold, upright you stand
Like soldiers on parade so grand
Your head’s held high, looking down on us all
Who knows what will befall!
Butterflies and bees are drawn to your centre
To reap the delights of your tantalizing nectar
You shine so bright with a smile on your face
You look so proud, full of grace
When summer’s end is nigh, your heads droop
And it’s time to say farewell to the troop
Your petals fade, wither and die
Your seeds ripen and I hear you cry
Birds come pecking to feast on your treats
You keep on giving till autumn retreats
Frost makes you crumble, you fall at my feet
And return to the earth to sleep
When spring comes around where your seeds have lain
Tiny shoots emerge to begin the cycle again.
Mother
A sorrowful sight my mother
who once was a foreboding figure
She sits on the bed like a lost child, staring into space
who knows what she is thinking.
At the moment, she remembers me, but the day may come when she no longer does.
I see the fear in her eyes, what shall I do; she is my mother after all, but she refuses help saying nothing is wrong, yet it is plain to see by us all.
Her memory is fading, she is afraid; I wish she would open up and let me in
I am here for her now as she once was for me,
the role reversed I can see
The mother becomes the child and the child a parent.
I hug her goodbye, “Take care,” I say
Who knows if she will remember me, come the next day.
September
I sit and look out on my plot
Courgette plants with their mildewed leaves
Runner beans climbing still,
their tips swaying like snakes in the grass
Blackberries plump and juicy, ready to burst
Bees cling to lavender to get the last drop of nectar
A lowly butterfly flits about in the breeze
Rotten apples on the ground
full of woodlice and millipedes
Oh, how I love September,
the sun so warm and the sweet smells that linger
only this month can bring
My thoughts turn to winter as I gaze upon my
cabbages, leeks and kale
Lovely stews and soups to make
as my mouth begins to water
Now I am content as the hazy sun shines down
and I drift off to sleep...
Raindrop Reflections
Drip, drip, drop the rain
Falling from the heavens
Captured on the branches
Of inky woven cobwebs
Silhouetted by the streetlamp
The boughs glisten and gleam
As tiny droplets dangle
And illuminate the tree
The gusty wind is blowing
As the twigs shiver and shake
Eerie faces in the darkness
Make me quiver and quake
Winter isn’t over
It’s only just begun
Several months still to go
Before the warmth of the sun
The rain keeps falling
As I sit and stare
Thankfully, I am inside
In the comfort of my chair!
Bête Noire
Silently you come
Disguised by a purity second to none
Your uniqueness unquestionable
As you blanket the earth in just a few hours
Sins covered under a duvet of white
And now my view amorphous
You look so pretty and peaceful undisturbed,
but before too long, footprints spoil your serenity
The air is still and cold
Your lifeless colour does nothing for my soul
You are my bête noire.
Annie May
Annie May is 18 today
Hip hip hooray!
All grown up with the key to the door
It’s time to go out and explore.
A holiday to Spain, your first port of call
With your friends having fun by the pool
No parents in sight to drive you ’round the bend
And tell you when the fun has to end.
Do you remember the first book we gave you?
Full of nursery rhymes, stories and fables
Your love of reading has inspired me so
From Shakespeare to the Philosopher’s Stone.
So I bet you were pleased when you got
Your Saturday job at the Beckenham bookshop,
It sure beats digging your dad’s allotment plot!
We had fun playing games, but for me
Your claim to fame has to be when you beat Uncle Chris at chess
But of course he was drunk, so not at his best
So he believes it doesn’t count anyway!
Your gigs to Maiden are just the start
Of a rock ‘n’ roll teenager at heart
With a musical soul, I hear you’re heading to the Festival at Reading
At least you’re used to camping
Through the mud and rain you’ll be tramping
Have fun, Annie May and congratulations on becoming 18 today!
Jasper
Jasper was a lovely dog
A black and white Collie
I had always been afraid of dogs
But Jasper helped me overcome it
He greeted me with such enthusiasm
Jumping up and down
Barking away, until I told him to calm down
Sometimes I dog-sat
And I remember this one time
I took him to his local lake
To have a run-around
He was very well behaved
And obeyed my every call
Until I reached the stream
And sternly said to Jasper, “No!”
I turned my back for just a minute
And noticed he had gone
And when I peered down the bank
There he was, having fun
Splashing about in the water
Getting a muddy coat
‘Oh no,’ I thought, ‘what a mess!’
Jasper, ‘what have you done?’
He looked up at me with a wry smile
He didn’t care, he had his fun
And mucked about
While his parents weren’t there
I hurried back to the car
Jasper all smelly and wet
He plonked himself on the blanket
And I didn’t hear a peep
To my surprise, he’d licked himself clean,
by the time I’d got home
I was so relieved that I didn’t have to hose him down
I have many memories of Jasper
who sadly passed away
But whenever I see a Border Collie,
it reminds me of that day!
My Beautiful Broad Beans
They’d survived the cold, the frost, the snow, the creatures of the night
Nestled in their furry jackets, they could not have known their plight.
Luscious leaves on stocky stems reaching for the sky
Patiently, I watched them grow as the days went by.
Devastation and destruction, I could not believe the scene
Aphids, had attacked my beautiful broad beans!
No warning sign was given, no defence put in place
Every orifice had been tarnished by this remorseless race.
They don’t know when to stop and multiply on mass
Their only friend of the insect world, the fiendish ant.
They lure them to their abode with a sweet sticky drug
So the ants will protect them from all the other bugs.
In my heartfelt anger, I put on my gloves
Got hold of those diseased leaves and squished those nasty bugs.
The ants fought back attacking my boots
As if a commander-in-chief had deployed his troops.
When I finally came up for air, I had a breather and sat in my chair
I stared at my beans all sooty and black, it seemed incredibly unfair!
I guess it taught me a lesson, if my beans look good enough to eat
Best to cover them in fleece, otherwise the bugs will be waiting for their feast!
Rose
Her velvet touch and pinkish hue
An aroma of mystery and romance
To gaze upon a rose in bloom
Is a special kind of magic.
I’ve danced amongst her silky petals
In all my frills and finery
As her heady scent filled the air
’Twas a delight for all my senses.
Her love is deep and crimson red
Her sorrow, a snow-white blossom
Yet beneath her shining emerald shawl
Lies a sharp and thorny present!
She clambers up the walls and fences
Or stands tall for all to see
And when her tight buds unfurl
Her true beauty can be seen.
When autumn turns to winter
And her last petal falls
I shall keep the memories within
Until summer returns once more.
Yearning
I sit across an empty table; my heart beats, not yearning, solitude can be refreshing; no music or TV to drown out my thoughts, peaceful one might say. Yet, a loss is present, engulfs me almost. I choose to do nothing, knowing the heartache already. I can’t help but wonder, to find the spark that lights from within, if just for a fleeting moment and feel the passion once more...
Pansy
Colours, so many, vibrant and bright
Cheer up a gloomy day, when the sun is out of sight
They bob in the breeze, those paper thin petals
Softer than silk where hoverflies settle
Pansies for summer, winter and spring
They top off a salad, what a wondrous thing!
Faces all painted look up to the sky
Smiling away as the clouds roll by
Sweet smelling Pansy you light up my life
Glad to have your company as the years pass by.
New Beginnings
It is a sad day for me today
Now that you are finally moving away
All the good times I’ve had in your Supra and TVR driving mad
Fun evenings at the Chelsea Cruise
Watching Tottenham win or lose!
&nb
sp; A Christmas each year full of fun
My parents loved you as a son.
Our family will never be the same
Let’s hope we have not suffered in vain
Several years on, some of the heartache gone
A new life you’ll have by the sea
Where you can relax in the sun and enjoy a cream tea.
That just leaves me to say farewell
On this note, I will not dwell
I shall miss you very much
Hope all goes well and good luck.
A Pot of Gold Lies Undisturbed
For every rose that blooms, a petal falls
For every star that dies, a supernova is born
For every morning sun, there appears a midnight moon
For every raindrop that falls, a river flows
For every wind that blows, clear skies will follow
For every forest burnt, new life springs forth
For every rainbow that lights the sky, a pot of gold lies undisturbed
For every baby born, a loved one dies
For every lie told, a truth is hidden
For every heart broken, true love finds a way.
Last Tree Standing
Sad, alone amongst the concrete and glass
All my friends have gone
Once we stood together in our younger days
Outstretched fingers swaying in the breeze
Harsh winters and warm summers
We enjoyed each other’s company
Sometimes, I would be overshadowed
Knocked about in the wind
But still the familiarity was a comfort
They were always there beside me
The skyline began to change
Menacing machines appeared on the outskirts
Walls began to climb
Our roots torn from the earth
Trees in the distance no more
Sadness swept over me
Disease set in, severe winters
Snow covered the ground
The weight on my branches became too much
They snapped lying dead on the floor
Spring still came and summer once more
My leaves hid the scars from the outside world
But the wound’s still fresh
