John Edward Smallshaw

John Edward Smallshaw Oct 2024

Faint heart and fair maiden

Show me
I asked her,
how dare you
She said,

later
in the bed
She said,
you dared.

John Edward Smallshaw Oct 2024

*** vol 5

clear
and as you can see
I'm here
getting older
every year

it doesn't suit me.

John Edward Smallshaw Oct 2024

That poet's thing

Tolerable?
barely
rarely have I been in
this situation
or maybe
yes
in a dream,
but never for real.

Like most things that life brings
it remains a private affair,
but knowing what is out there
makes it more tolerable,
probably.

John Edward Smallshaw Oct 2024

Fried eggs

Rise and Shine loses its appeal when you wake up and feel groggy,
like your brain is saying, Good God he
lives,

however unlikely if you wake up just like me
take it easy,
we're all getting there.

John Edward Smallshaw Oct 2024

Volts

I think that the mains tripped
it can't have been me
because
I was standing innocently
next to the girl
that I adore.

She
could if
She so desired
set me on fire
but
I'm burning anyway
every way
and
She knows.

John Edward Smallshaw Oct 2024

Catching up

If someone could take me from waking up early and keep me locked tight in my sleep.

I dream.

disjointed
sometimes disappointed
a ragbag assortment
I rummage with glee.

She nudges me
and I fall into a winning combination,

I dream.

John Edward Smallshaw Oct 2024

As it was

It was the 'Glass Onion'
and it made us cry
when we knew for certain
that John would die.

Strawberry fields
were never forever
that was for sure
a lie.