red silk slippers

 Yesterday we celebrated all the Christmases

we’d missed since you left and this morning there’s sunshine

and a light frost and I have red silk slippers from Thailand.

Outside, blackbirds peck for worms

on the square of turf where the old cat is buried

and I have bright wooden birds from Singapore to dangle

lifelike from the bare branches of the lilac tree.

The heating pipes grumble, wind lullabies

through the chimney and I have a lucky Chinese cat

whose silvered paw waves back and forth

tick-tocking the seconds

between yesterday and tomorrow.

This morning there’s sunshine and a light frost

and I have red silk slippers from Thailand.

Title poem from 'red silk slippers' © Marilyn Francis 2009

Launching red silk slippers

Marilyn writes...

This was a low-key, hugely enjoyable affair – wine was drunk, nibbles nibbled, and many copies of red silk slippers were bought, and signed by me in my very best handwriting. A select band of the literary cognoscenti attended, including an intrepid couple who had trekked down from furthest Lancashire. Many pleasing things were said about the book design, and some pleasing things were even said about the contents. However, unlike the Vogon, I refused to endanger the lives of the company with any poetry reading. Hoping, rather that they’d take the books home and read them in the sunshine, though the truth was that I was saving myself for my radio debut with SomerValley FM on the following Monday. 

All in all, this has been a fantastic experience. None of it would have happened without the patient, unflagging support, of Kay Green at Circaidy Gregory Press, and some refreshingly honest critiquing from members of the Earlyworks Press writers’ forum. 

 

 

 

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