LGBT Poet Laureate

Being a Lesbian

A poem for Lesbian Visibility Week in May 2023 to celebrate being visible.

A Lesbian is a woman who has taken flight,
From the sexual expectations of men.
Who has embraced the possibility
Of being unfettered … and then?

Lesbian is a general and generic term.
There are different ways of being one.
You can be a particular type of lesbian,
All of the time, or some, or none.

We can have whatever we want, or wish
Femme, Butch, neither … or in between.
It can vary due to desire or circumstance,
Lipstick, tattooed, casual or keen.

You could meet a lesbian every day,
It's a world that’s hidden in plain sight.
We might be shouting from the rooftops,
Or quietly basking in delight.

I just love being a lesbian.
I enjoy a happy and fulfilled life,
Enjoying the company of women
Be it as lover, partner, friend or wife.

Women's Day

A poem to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8 March 2023.

Let's celebrate the trailblazers,
Who put women centre-stage.
Who changed the course of herstory
With their vision, their love, their rage.

Let's honour those fearless women,
Who fought for equality and emancipation.
Let's continue today the work they began,
And change society through education.

Remember the women in our own lives,
Who inspired and encouraged and cared.
And the women who tried their very best,
Despite being discouraged and scared.

Going for Gold

I wrote this for the London Olympics, and it was also filmed by the BBC and used as a trailer in the run up to the Games.

This is a poem about a place
Wells–next–the–sea.
About the people who live in it.
This is a poem about pride and passion.

Ours is a landscape of sea, saltmarsh and open sky.
We harvest the land and sea, as did our forbears,
Sailors, sea captains, pirates, adventurers,
Our history is soil-and salt-coated.

We understand teamwork – hard work,
Tenacity and endeavour,
We are singers of sea shanties, dreamers,
Athletes of life.

We will be listening to the London Olympics,
As we patiently wait for the tide to turn.
As we proudly dress our Norfolk crabs.
Hearing you struggle to be the best.

We will be watching the London Olympics,
On television, at home and in the pub.
Watching you push yourselves to the limit
For yourself, for Britain, for us…

Going For Gold!

An Odd Couple

Written and performed for my show, ‘Love, Lust and Loathing in the Bloomsbury Literati’, during the Bloomsbury Festival 2017

Lytton and Virginia were literary lions.
They prowled around the Bloomsbury Set,
Vetting interlopers that they met,
Pronouncing them suitable…or maybe not yet.

Their writing set the world aflame.
Their Bohemian lifestyle banished shame.
They tipped convention on its head,
For a new life order…or so they said.

Who would have thought, that he and she,
Would strike up a friendship so immediately.
A connection that lasted the whole of their life
Closer than lover, husband or wife.

He tall and thin, wracked with crippling fear,
Terrified of intimacy…
Yet desperate to be near.

She of similar stature, tormented by self-doubt,
Wanting to be uninhibited…
Struggling to let it out.

Both driven by ambition and desire to be rich.
Both liked to gossip, ruminate and bitch,
Suffer romantic torment and unrequited love.
As long-suffering partners strove to rise above.

A monumental relationship,
Based on values both held dear.
A very English friendship,
Eccentric and Queer.

Save The Black Cap

I was asked to write this poem as a protest of the closure of The Black Cap, a very famous Drag Pub, in Camden. During a period when many Gay Clubs and Venues were being closed down.
It was performed at Incite@The Phoenix in October 2016.

This place is more than just a pub,
It’s our history, our style, our own special club.
A place to chat, to drink, to dance.
Encourage friendship, love and romance.

It isn’t fair. It isn’t right,
To banish us into the night.
We need to see a friendly face,
Save The Black Cap. It’s our place.
Here we raised the roof with joy,
As boy became girl and girl became boy.
Drenched the floor with booze and tears
Celebrated who we were, without any fears.

It isn’t fair. It isn’t right,
To banish us into the night.
We need to see a friendly face,
Save The Black Cap, it’s our place.

So what becomes of this place that we
Imprinted with the map of LGBT?
It would be a great shame indeed,
If it’s snatched away by developers greed.

It isn’t fair. It isn’t right,
To banish us into the night.
We need to see a friendly face,
Save The Black Cap, it’s our place.

Schwule

This is a living interactive poem written for International Holocaust Day. 

The pink triangles I am wearing in the image are inscribed with the words used to describe homosexuals (in German and English) during Gestapo rule.

Remember those poor unfortunate men
Of every race, age and religion…the 175’s,
Rounded up, incarcerated in concentration camps
Because they were Homosexual.

Respect those 20,000 men,
Who lost their friends, families and businesses,
Who were beaten, tortured and castrated.
Labelled with a pink triangle…the lowest of the low.

Resolve to never again return
To those dark days of terror and evil.
Fight injustice and inequality,
Encourage love, regardless of race or gender.

I can choose to remove these labels,
Live and love freely, be Glad to be Gay.
Those men were not so fortunate.
Remember, Respect and Honour them today.

Women & Aids (World Aids Day Vigil 2018)

We are the hands that rocked the cradle,
Administered to the needs of those affected.
Comforted the shocked and confused,
Nursed the sick and dying.

Women and AIDS go hand in hand.

We were infected by husbands and lovers,
By a half forgotten one night stand.
By a not forgotten rapist.
By people, who didn’t know they had it.

Our babies were born with AIDS.

Because we had a blood transfusion,
Or were registered hemophiliacs.
Because we were ignorant and careless,
Or junkies, desperate for a fix.

Women are 52 percent of those who survived

Remember those women who lost their lives
Celebrate those that survive.
The mothers. Sisters. Aunties. Friends,
Who now stand, hand in hand, with the men.

#Nofilter

I performed this poem on the Trafalgar Square stage for London Pride 2016. It was also performed at ’60 Years a Queen’.

We are the voice of Love
That dares to speak its name.
We will not, can not be silenced.
We are… # No Filter

We are a wave of Love
That ripples around the world.
We’re every creed, colour and religion.
We are… # No Filter.

We are a beacon of Love
Dazzling in our style and diversity.
We’re trendsetters, go-getters, creatives.
We are… # No Filter.

We are the spectrum of Love
Shape-shifters, Gender-benders, fluid.
We’re dreamers, magicians, groundbreakers.
We are…. # No Filter.

We are a celebration of Love
People who hang on to hope.
We’re L.G.B.T.Q. The real deal.
We are… # No Filter.

National Hate Crime Awareness Week

I performed this poem in St Paul’s Cathedral, October 2019, for the launch of National Hate Crime Awareness Week.

See the video of the performance.

In this week across our nation,
We stand united in our call.
“There is no place for hatred.”
Because hatred, hurts us all.

Whatever your ability or religion.
Sexuality, colour of skin.
This battle against hate crime,
Is one we have to win.

Let’s educate the ignorant.
Dispel prejudice and fear.
Promote that Love is a human right,
Be open and be clear.

We can make a difference,
By what we do and say,
Against the intolerance and injustice,
Some people suffer every day.

It’s okay to be different,
Let’s honour who we are.
Make our world a safer place,
For all of us, near and far.

The Smallhythe Trio

Edy, Christopher and Tony
Lived unconventional lives.
Known as the Smallhythe trio…
Women, workmates and wives.

They rejected the traditional template
Of how a woman should be.
Wore trousers, wrote plays, were independent,
Fought for women’s equality.

Edy was a devoted daughter.
Her mother the actress Ellen Terry,
Whose home is now a museum
Enjoyed by you and me.

The Trio set the benchmark
Of what a woman could achieve,
They threw away the corset
Of society’s expectation and need.

Mapping Our Network

Ours is a diverse and shifting Landscape.
We navigate it, plan our path
A network of Commitment and Friendship
Offering service, doing what we can

See how the pathways ebb and flow
Its boundaries flickers in the dark
It still exists when it’s not visible
Just reach out, make a mark

Ours is a secret and not so secret route
It’s a code we need to share
The way we communicate with each other
The way we show that we care

Together we can find a way
To illuminate the map
So that everyone who needs it
Can see and understand it

IDAHOT

Performed on Sky TV for my triptych with Three Flying Piglets. The poem is themed around the colours of blue and white.

I’m your brother and sister,
I’m both Mrs and Mister,
I am Gay, Bi and Transsexual,
I am… myself.

I’m your father and mother,
Husband, auntie, friend and lover,
I’m different…and the same,
I am your family.

I’m black, white, pink… every hue,
Christian, Muslim, Buddhist… Jew,
Skinhead, Goth, Punk, New Romantic,
I am me. I am you.

I’m your district nurse, your teacher,
The boy and girl next door,
Someone in the street,
I am your neighbour.

I’m no better than you, or no worse,
No richer, poorer, blessed or cursed,
Just part of the same Gravitational Wave,
As you are.

Suffragette Anniversary

Celebrating 100 years since women got the partial vote at Incite@The Phoenix.

Hurrah for the Suffragettes
Who, one hundred years ago,
Fought for the right of women to vote.
Struck inequality, a deadly blow.

Let us not forgot their struggle
Against the gender discrimination
Of every woman, of every race
Of every female in this nation

Lets remind employers & unions,
That equal job means equal pay.
Lets change the law & enforce it,
To make sure it stays that way.

Sexual harassment in the workplace,
Is something that has to end.
A women’s right to feel safe at work,
Is a right we need to defend.

The success of our country’s economy,
Relies on women to work.
Professional success & opportunity,
Is not a just masculine perk.

In honour of the Suffragettes.
Let us, men and women agree
Sexual discrimination thwarts potential
Its Equality that sets us free

Ode To Orlando

I wrote this poem when I heard about the horrific massacre of fifty people at an LGBT venue (Pulse) in Orlando Florida. The murderer was “disgusted when he saw two men kissing”

I attended the Vigil held on Old Compton St, later that day and was humbled by the intensity of love, support and solidarity shown by not only members of our community, but by our friends and allies.

I also performed this at St Paul’s Cathedral for the launch of National Hate Crime Awareness Week 2016, in collaboration with Stop Hate UK and 17-24-30 National HCAW.

Bullets or bombs may destroy the lives,
Of friends, lovers husbands or wives
But it doesn’t destroy the love that we
Nourish and share in our Community.

We’re near, we’re far, We are LGBT
Standing here together proud & free
Our love is wider than the ocean
Our love is deeper than the sea

Homophobia is a hateful word
Borne of ignorance and fear
Our love is older than the hills
It was then, there and here

We will not be diminished
By hatred, ignorance and fear
We send our love around the world
We are LGBT Queer

Chechnya’s Choice

I performed this poem as part of Amnesty International’s and Stonewall’s protest outside the Russian Embassy in June 2017. It was also performed at Incite@The Phoenix in May 2017.

Law abiding, responsible men and women.
People from our LGBT Community.
Beaten, caged, raped and tortured,
In a Hurricane of Homophobic Hate.

Chechnya has abdicated rationality,
Relinquished reason and justice.
Succumbed to brutality and hatred.
The Cull, has begun.

Fathers, brothers, uncles snatched
From the bosom of their families.
Mother’s, sister’s hands wrenched
From rocking Russia’s cradle.
Chechnya has made its choice

To punish homosexual Love.
To purge its streets of dignity and respect,
Let ignorance & fear rule its heart.

Let us now raise our voices,
Lift up our global communities’ heart.
Ours is the enduring voice of love
It cannot. Must not be silenced.

HIV/AIDS

This poem was performed at Celebrate, Commemorate, Cabaret.

The name strikes dread into our heart,
We know what its impact can be.
We’ve seen the worst and best of it,
Its devastation of our community.

In the hedonistic excess of the 80’s,
We saw our playmates falter and fall.
Their fluids turned into Hades River,
Some swept away. Some, not at all.

The randomness, of the infection.
The suspicion, ignorance and fear.
Our family, friends and lovers blamed
Just because, they were Queer.

Investment in medical research
Stopped this killer in its tracks.
The afflicted now can live a life,
Improved by treatment and facts.

We honour our brothers and sisters,
Who didn’t survive that fight.
We salute and support the survivors
Whose life turned out alright.

Let us celebrate our lives today,
And those, whose lives are past.
Embrace our loving community
May it prosper, flourish and last

Isle of Wight Pride 2018

I was honoured to write and perform this themed poem at the Isle of Wight Pride 2018.

Stepping into our Destiny.
Moving into the light.
Proud to be L.G.B.T.
Here, on the Isle of Wight.

Remembering our History.
Poets. Artists. Sailors.
Rooted in this island’s rock,
Farmers. Fighters. Tailors.

Celebrating who we are,
Stylish, full of life.
Welcoming Loves diversity
Its harmony and strife

Honouring our Community,
And how our lives can be.
The courage and creativity,
Embedded in L.G.B.T.

On this day we send a message
To our family worldwide.
Be yourself, you’re beautiful!
There is no need to hide

Tall Tales For Fairies

A fun spin on traditional fairy stories.

Here I am, the Faery Queen,
I’m very cruel and I’m very mean.
The fairy’s wings I like to tear,
And put sticky knots in Rapunzel’s hair.

I love to hear them scream in pain
All their sorrow becomes my gain.
I laugh to see them struggle and cry.
It warms my heart, I tell no lie.

I like to capture Bo Peep’s sheep
And turn them into chops.
So while she’s searching up and down
They’re hanging in the shops.

I poisoned Miss Tuffet’s curds and whey.
She was awfully sick, and suffered all day
I threw struggling Ding Dong down the well,
That ridiculous cat…did you think it fell?

Come boys and girls and sit on my knee,
I’ll show you how good being bad can be
Come be my plaything, we’ll have such fun
I just need to bind you so you can’t run

I’ll make you tremble, pant and drool
Relieve you of every moral rule
I am your Queen – you obey my will
I’ll show you no mercy…oooh what a thrill

The Way We Were

Performed at the British Library launch of the Gay UK Exhibition.

Newly arrived in London
Seeking fame, fortune, friendship…
And the kind of sex we couldn’t find
In our small towns and villages.

We were ravenous.
Wanted to grab life by the throat,
Or, fall in and be overwhelmed by it.
Grow into ourselves.

We were gagging for it.
Brimming with fear and excitement.
Impatient for a brand new life,
Of our own making.

We took courses.
Loitered in clubs, pubs and places,
Hoping to meet a bona-fida homosexual
Or become one.

We marched together
On streets paved with hope and wonder
Held hands at Greenham – shouted
Made love as much as possible.

The way we were
We thought would never change or end
Now the way we are today
Will tomorrow’s history amend

The Wilderness Years

I performed this at the Hatred Hurts All Conference in May 2017, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia and again when I was interviewed for the documentary ‘Changing Minds’.

Do you remember the Wilderness Years?
The years between 18 and 25.
The years of hope and longing,
When everything was new.

Do you remember the worry?
Of being excluded, of not fitting in?
Of not being, in some way
A bona – fida member of LQBT Gay.

Do you remember feeling overwhelmed?
Being tossed about in life’s jet stream,
Bewildered by, what the fuck,
Or who, was going on?

Do you remember those lost years?
The sex, the drink, the drugs, the clubs
So many new faces, new places
Some good, some bad, some ugly.

Those who can remember it,
Have passed through it.
Those who can remember it,
Have survived it. Some don’t.

18 to 25 .The highest statistic
Of disenchantment and depression
Of death by suicide or misadventure
Within our community

It doesn’t have to be that way
Those can be happy care-free years
Celebrating all that is great, good & gay.
Supported by love and wisdom.

Let us light a beacon in our hearts,
To guide those young men and women
The sons & daughters, the next generation,
Who now navigate, The Wilderness years.

Lesbian Visibility

This is a poem for all the Lesbians
In Chechnya, Nigeria, Libya, Burma.
Who become invisible to save their lives,
Or, are considered not worth reporting.

This is a poem for the brave Lesbians
Who stand up. Stand out. Are out.
Who will not remain hidden,
Wherever in the world they may be.

This is a poem for all those Women,
Who dare to love another woman.
Who open up their bodies and minds,
To the transformational power of love.

This is a poem for those of us,
Who are proud to call themselves Lesbian
Who reach out and nurture others
Who hold the whole world in their hands.

Temper

Sadly, domestic abuse is still prevalent.

You warned me about your temper
I thought you were making a joke
I remembered your words months later
When my bones and heart you broke

Mostly you were quiet and gentle
You described yourself as kind
Nice, as nice, as nice can be
Until, you changed your mind

Then you became a monster
Cruel and without remorse
It wasn’t your fault, it was your temper
You’d warned me about it, of course

I don’t know why I took you back
When you begged and cried and pleaded
Maybe I felt sorry cos your life was so sad
Maybe, I wanted to be needed?

So then I had to pay the price
Of loving Jekyll and Hyde
It was a painful, brutal, mercifully short
Roller-coaster ride

I see you’re online dating,
Advertising for somebody new
You say you’re solvent, single and hot
The problem is, you’re still you.

Excuse Me Mr Putin

I performed pop-up poetry for national poetry day around Soho, including Leicester Square and Convent Garden.

You can’t take the Gay out of Games, Mr Putin,
There are too many of us about.
The ones in your team will be winning you medals
Rather than struggling to come out.

You can’t keep us out of Russia,
You see, we’re a part of real life.
For we are your son and daughter,
Comrade, husband and wife.

It’s our hands that rock the cradle.
It’s our cash that keeps Russia afloat.
So you better wise up to Pink Politics,
Or you might find you lose our vote.

Your Games will be flooded with queer athletes,
The world will be sending its best.
Your audience will be filled with homosexuals,
Cheering along with the rest.

The world is watching Mr Putin,
And it’s filled with homosexuals like me.
So change your policy, up your game
Or an international laughing stock be.

Women of a Certain…

Performed at INCITE@The Phoenix, June 2016.

Here we are…women in our cups
Who’d have thought that we….
Would live to middle age?
Who’d have guessed that we…
Would feel thankful for it.

Here we are…the women who survived
The battle of the Sexes, the 70’s, our youth.
Proud to be feminist.
Proud to be activist.
Proud to be mother, mentor, friend and lover.

Here we are…women wearing purple,
Or pink, or yellow, or any damn colour we please.
Did you think that we….
Would grow old gracefully?
Well now you know….NO

Hastings Pride

Having relocated to St Leonard’s on Sea I dedicated a poem to the first Hastings Pride.

Let’s Celebrate this day,
Be proud of who we are.
Dazzling in diversity.
Here from near and far.

Just look around and see
It’s Love that sets us free.
We’re every colour, creed and style LGBIT.
Our hearts are open wide

There is no need to hide.
Embraced by our community
Being who we want to be.
So here at Hastings Pride

With friends on every side.
Let’s dance and sing and shout
We’re Queer, we’re Proud, we’re Out.

Hatred Hurts Us All

In this week across our nation
We stand united in our call.
There is no place for hatred.
Because hatred hurts us all.

Whatever your ability or religion
Sexuality, colour of skin
This battle against hate crime
Is one we have to win.

Let’s educate the ignorant.
Dispel prejudice and fear.
Promote that Love is a human right,
Be open and be clear.

We can make a difference,
By what we do and say,
Against the intolerance and injustice,
Some people suffer every day

It’s okay to be different,
Let’s honour who we are.
Make our world a safer place,
For all of us, near and far.

Bi-Visibility Day 2017

Let’s raise the flag,
Be Glad, be Gay
For today we celebrate
Bi-Visibility Day

We’re part of family LGBT
Being ourselves, you and me
In our community we play a part
With open mind and generous heart

It’s wonderful to have the joy
Of loving either girl or boy
Being open to Loves possibility
Breaking boundaries, being free

My choice could be a husband
My choice could be a wife
Or any of the in-betweens
It’s Love that predicts my life

There is no need to hide away
Feel frightened. Live a lie
If it’s okay to be Straight or Gay
Then it’s okay to be Bi.

Love Happens Here

A Theme Poem for London Pride 2017.

Love happens here.
In family, LGBT
In our relationships far and near.
It’s the heart of us and we.

Love can be enough,
In sunshine or in showers.
When the going gets tough,
It’s Love that empowers.

Love is our Diversity,
It’s the best that we can be.
It’s the Talent and Creativity,
Within our Community.

Love is you and me.
We show it in a smile,
In our Endeavor and Tenacity,
In our ‘Fabulosa’ Style.
Yes, Love happens here.

Come Camping

Combining Poetry, Music, Singing, Drag and Burlesque. This glamorous Queer Cabaret has a retro feel, with a contemporary twist in the tale! This is the theme tune to ‘Camp Confidential’.

Are you feeling low
Had a bit of a blow
From some so and so
Come Camping

Are you feeling sad
Is life really bad
We can make you glad
Come Camping!

Are you sick and fed up
Of being given the brush
Of life being such a rush

Relax and let go
Just go with the flow
Regain your Mojo
Come Camping

Let There Be Love

I’ve been collaborating with Three Flying Piglets to create a film triptych featuring my poems, and which has the working title of ‘Who, How, Why We Are’. This one is themed around green and brown.

Let us have FAITH…
That we do all, have choices.
That what we do can make a difference.
That there is goodness in all of us

Let us have COURAGE…
To say no when we need to
To resist manipulation, coercion or force
To stand up, to hate and evil.

Let us have LOVE…
In our relationships with friends and family
In the places we work, walk and study
In our hearts and minds

Most of all…Let us have love.

Coming Out Kiss

Performed at the fabulous LFest in July 2016, with my poems for London Pride.

It was that kiss that did it.
Blew away my misconceptions about lads,
About fancying them that is…
About wanting to be their ‘girlfriend’.

Tracey was trouble with a capital T.
Tall, tempestuous, a truant and a tease.
She cut a swathe through all the boys,
Discarded them like broken toys.

I was twelve, she was sixteen…
And a walking, talking living dream.
I was bored with secondary school,
I preferred dancing and playing the fool.

On that day she noticed me,
Said she’d teach me how to be
A femme fatale like she was.
The first lesson was kissing.

Dating, Mating & Extricating

Performed at the fabulous LFest in July 2016, with my poems for London Pride.

You’re too aggressive Julia,
In a place that I like sweet
So although I’m very fond of you
I really must retreat.

You’re a people pleaser Audrey,
I prefer a truthful place.
So in terms of trusting you
It will never be the case.

I enjoyed our fling Katarina,
We had a bit of fun.
You seem to think this ‘affair’ will last,
I’m telling you now…we’re done.

I waited for you Linda,
You decided not to try.
You loitered about in Neverland
And let our relationship die.

Read the whole poem

Single

Performed at the fabulous LFest in July 2016, with my poems for London Pride.

This is the time, the loose time,
When you make the choice to be good or bad.
This is the time…reckless,
When it doesn’t matter what your choice is.

Who cares, or knows, or gives a fuck
You can toss a coin, rely on good luck
It’s risky, free, and why not be
It’s all the spectrum of possibility

When things can go wrong,
Or, oh…so very right.
When you don’t know what will happen
At the beginning, middle, or end of the night.

The single life I wear it well
It can be funny, serious…or simply hell
It’s good to be single, I like it a lot
Being single is simple. Being single is Hot.

London Pride

Performed at London Pride 2016

Let’s Celebrate this day,
Be proud of who we are.
Dazzling in diversity.
Here from near and far.

Just look around and see
It’s Love that sets us free.
We’re every colour, creed and style
LGBIT

Our hearts are open wide
There is no need to hide.
Embraced by our community
Being who we want to be.

So here at London Pride
With friends on every side.
Let’s dance and sing and shout,
We’re Queer, we’re Proud, we’re Out.

We Are

I’ve been collaborating with Three Flying Piglets to create a film triptych featuring my poems, and which has the working title of ‘Who, How, Why We Are’. This one is themed around red and was performed at the opening of the Winter Pride Exhibition.

We are water, air and matter.
Blood, bone, sinew and flesh,
Electrical impulses.
We, are dust and ashes.

We’re all the same under our skin,
Bleed the same colour blood,
Cry, happy or sad, salt tears,
We, are special, extraordinary

We’re lucky to be alive, dead lucky.
Hostage to Fate and Fortune,
Gay, Bi, Trans, Non-binary.
We are me, you, them. Us.

We’re the same and different.
Frightened, frail, disillusioned,
Brave, bold and beautiful.
We, are a Community.

Ally  

I want to be a good Ally,
Become the best person I can be.
Counteract ignorance and prejudice,
See it in others, recognise it in me.

We whiteys bask in our privilege,
Don’t even notice its there.
Learn it at home. At church. At school,
It’s wrong, it’s cruel it’s unfair.

Heterosexuals set the benchmark,
Of what normality should be.
I don’t appreciate not making the grade,
I’m not wrong or right…I’m just me

Women of every distinction,
Should be recognised as equal to men.
Worthy of equal pay and opportunity,
Of respect here and there, now and then.

We need to encourage each other
To check what we think and feel.
Have we been brainwashed by society?
We need to focus on keeping it real

By being an Ally to someone in need,
Responding to what others say or do
We can make our world a happier place
Fairer, more equal, honest and true.

Taking Poetry Off The Page  

Take poetry off the page,
Let it fly free,
Attach to fences and trees,
Flutter in the wind of change.

Let poetry swirl
In the face of adversity,
Be scrawled on Billboards,
Help to build bridges.

Spit out the phrases
That ease an aching heart.
Offers comfort and concern,
To those who need it.

Extend a help-line
To the disenchanted.
To those on the wayside,
Or, in the gutter.

Let poetry catch
In a breath, a stride,
Break into a run…
Become unstoppable.

Poetry has wings,
The voice of an Angel.
Ascending, avenging
Embodying our spirit  

It’s Spring

A poem about the change and influence of the seasons.

Wake up from winter’s slumber
That slothful, cosy lie-abed.
Hear that persistent shout
It’s spring, it’s coming out.

The days are stretching, yawning
Expanding in the warming air
There’s a feeling of expectancy…
It’s Spring, it’s nearly there

Feeling impatient, a troublesome tickle?
A turning up of the senses
With frisky on high?
It’s Spring it’s nigh

Buds are joyfully bursting
Leaves spring from somnolent bough
Bulbs are thrusting skywards
It’s Spring, it’s coming now

Step up, and out, and look about.
It’s mix and match and mate
Succumb and follow Natures cue
Spring doesn’t hesitate

Every creatures getting lively
Birds are preening, singing, dancing
Bees are buzzing and romancing
Spring is playful, Spring is prancing

Now’s the time to rise and shine
Don your glad rags, bad shoes, big smile
Strut your stuff, be spontaneous
Cos Spring has style

Spring

A poem about the change and influence of the seasons.

There’s a prickle on your skin.
No it’s not Sahara Dust – Its Spring,
It’s in.

There’s a bouncing in your step,
A sort of Va-va-voom – A surge
Of pep.

Days are longer brighter, lighter.
The temperature’s quickening – even clocks
Leap forwards.

Natures looking for a wife.
Bambi, Blackbirds, Tian Tian…its sex
It’s rife.

Buds are swelling, birds are singing
Green nettles thrusting up – taking hold
Determined.

It’s thrilling, it’s joyous, it’s unstoppable
It’s madness and mayhem – It’s irresistible
It’s SPRING.

March

A poem about the change and influence of the seasons.

Is it Spring? Or is it not?
First it’s too cold and then too hot.
Then it’s too windy, then it’s too wet.
Suffice it to say my cashmeres aren’t off yet.

March is a mad month.
It’s the season of pull and push.
It warns us that winter isn’t yet past,
And spring is in no rush.

March is a capricious month
It’s a promise and a tease
It revs us up, then calms us down
It does just as it pleases

March can be a flirtatious month
It asks, “Are we ready and waiting?”
To respond to Mother Nature’s call
Of relating, dating and mating

Is it Spring or is it not?
I’m feeling frisky rather a lot
I’m wanting to be out and about
Spring is calling…Come out, come out!

March (2)

A poem about the change and influence of the seasons.

Spring March
It’s March… it’s mad
Days lighter and longer
Earth warmer…sap stronger

Buds swelling, sticky glistening
Persistent nettles pushing, pushing
Hares racing…kicking boxing
Birds singing, nest building

Frogs jumping…croaking, searching
Bees swarming, lambs bleating
Nature’s busting, thrusting, throbbing
There’s fighting and fucking

Madness and Mayhem
It’s thrilling it’s joyous…
It’s March

Autumn ’14

A poem about the change and influence of the seasons.

This is a chill Autumn wind.
A wind of change
It dances the golden leaves off the bough
Sweeps me out of arms reach,
Turns friends into strangers.

This wind blows through my bones
Shaking loose flotsam
Makes the impossible almost possible
Pushing and yielding, reaching in and out
Becoming more than a lover

In this brisk Autumn breeze
Anything could happen
Your life could change for the better
For worse, for nothing for something or other
Only the wind knows

Sombre Summer (Goodbye June)

A poem about the change and influence of the seasons.

It’s been a sombre summer, so far.
Grey clouds, disappointment and grief.
Madness and murder at every turn
June’s passing has been a relief.

The changes have been monumental
June’s finished, there’s no going back
We could sit on our heels, dissolve into salt
Fear our life is under attack.

We do have a say in how we live
Let’s use it, and not be shy
Now’s the time to say what we need
Rather than later, moan and cry

July can be a noisy month
August can be languid and long
Time to relax and have some fun
With friends and lovers and song

June is an ember in the grate
Summer’s hot whisper is here
Let’s step into our future
Let’s be fluid, joyful, Queer

Summer Send-Off

A poem about the change and influence of the seasons performed at Incite @The Phoenix in September 2016

The days are getting shorter,
The suns warmth doesn’t last.
Birds are singing a different tune,
Summertime is past.

Farewell to summer barbeques,
And picnics in the park.
Discarding unnecessary clothing,
Having a bikini mark.

Farewell to the balmy evenings,
Playing out till late.
Eating alfresco in Old Compton St,
Flirting with a date.

I’ll miss the long and languorous days,
And swimming in the sea.
Or gazing up at a big blue sky,
Happy just to be.

It’s goodbye to the resolutions,
I promised I’d sustain.
To rewrite the novel.
Get super fit, my appetites retrain.

I’ve loved this summer, it’s been such fun,
In truth…it’s been a blast.
I’d like it to linger a little longer
Alas, summertime is past.

Autumn

A poem about the change and influence of the seasons.

Autumn is nipping at my ankles
The sun has shifted in the sky.
This is a season of change and sorrow
I’m having to say goodbye

The days are getting cooler,
Leaves are dying on the bough.
I’m shedding my attachment,
I’m getting over you now.

The nights are getting longer,
I miss your smiling face.
I miss your body in my bed
blossoming, in my embrace.

Soon the icy winter winds
will blow my longing away
as sure as is my beating heart
As day follows night follows day

Winter Cometh

A poem about the change and influence of the seasons.

Winter is nipping at my ankles
The sun has shifted in the sky.
This is a season of change and sorrow
I’m ready to say goodbye

The days are getting cooler;
Leaves are dying on the bough.
I’m shedding my attachment;
I’m getting over you now.

The nights are getting longer;
I miss your smiling face.
I miss your body in my bed
blossoming, in my embrace.

Soon the icy winter winds
will blow my longing away
as sure as is my beating heart,
as day follows night follows day

Season’s Greetings

A poem about the change and influence of the seasons.

It’s that time of year…
When it’s getting cold and dark,
Makes me want to cuddle up…
And get romantic.

It used to send me running…
Halfway across the world,
To India, Indonesia, Vietnam Thailand
Somewhere hot.

This winter it can blow…
Blow its fiercest, coldest blast
Cos I’ll be sitting cosy and close
With those I love.

Deck the halls with fairy lights…
I’ll be staying home some nights
With my girlie on my knee…
Happy, happy, happy me.

Queer Christmas

A poem about the change and influence of the seasons.

It’s the festive season, Hip hip hooray!
Now’s a good time to be happy and Gay
This time of year can be lonely and cold
So get out those glad-rags, be daring. Be bold

Try a new lipstick, buy a sprig of mistletoe
Tune into the season, its ringing Go Gay Go!
Dry clean that jacket. Put on that bow tie
If you feel like snogging, don’t think why?

Christmas time can be stressful and fraught
Overspending, overeating, doing what you ought
So relax and smile a little, look around you, it’s free.
Enjoy the many pleasures of our Community

Be kind, be nice, it is the seasonal mission
Spread love and goodwill, I give you my permission
Just one more thing to say before I go
I wish you a Merry Xmas, with lots of Yo, Ho, Ho!

Decriminalisation Of Homosexuality

To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Decriminalisation of Homosexuality

There is danger in dark places
For men like us, there are no spaces
Where we can be proud, where we can be free
Where I can love you and you, can love me

We know how great the risk would be
We’d be ostracized by society
Our lives & careers would be ruined of course
By blackmail, prosecution, threats or force

Because of that we play the game
Of love that dare not speak its name
My problem is when I hear your voice
My spirit doth lift and my heart rejoice

My flesh is weak, but my spirit strong
I know in my heart it is not wrong
For man to love man, and boy to love boy
To share love and respect, happiness and joy

Three Ladies

They were three special Ladies
Friends, collaborators and lovers.
Living together for almost fifty years,
Devoted sisters, serfs and mothers.

They lived, laboured and loved
In a hamlet, betwixt church and stream.
Tending their garden, home and hopes,
Living the domestic and creative dream.

Edy was the catalyst,
A woman who lived to work.
Dutiful daughter, friend and lover,
Her duties she did not shirk.

Tony was the peacemaker,
Blessed with an artist’s perceptive eye
Gentle, even-tempered and humorous
Between two volatile lovers, she did lie.

Christopher was the agitator,
Passionate, demanding and romantic
In her bright red coat and tri-cornered hat.
She was dapper and rather pedantic.

The focus and drive these women shared,
Helped to change the course of history.
Their guardianship of their private lives
Ensures their love remains, a mystery.

People Will Say We’re Queer

Performed with musical accompaniment to ‘People will say we’re in love’ by Rogers & Hammerstein, 1943, but in a minor key.

Don’t praise my work so much
Don’t stand quite so near
Don’t laugh at my jokes too much
People will guess that we’re Queer

Don’t sigh and gaze at me
Your love is far too clear
Your eyes mustn’t glow like mine
People will know that we’re Queer

Don’t risk being truthful
Honesty would cost us both dear
Our families shamed, us prosecuted
Just because we are Queer

Pension Plea

A pension plea to the Government - 2018.

We are the women born in the 50’s,
Who will not falter in our fight.
The government postponed our pension.
This isn’t fair. It isn’t right.

We contributed to this Nation,
Our workforce made this county great.
We don’t deserve to be singled out
Told our pensions have to wait.

We enriched the UK’s economy,
As teachers, nurses, mother and wife.
Now a random birth date lottery
Gives us an impoverished life.

We did as the government bade us,
Made sacrifices and paid our due.
Now is the time to repay that debt,
We did our bit. Now its up to you.

Heartfelt

My name is Trudy and I am a poem
I am the whisper in your ear,
The tap, tap tap on the window.
The unexpected letter.

I am your secret hope,
The best you wish for.
Laughter in your house,
I am the voice of Love.

Poetry expands our senses,
Brings out the best and worst
Transforms pain into grace
Makes us bigger people.

Hear the poem in your heart
Let it come out
It belongs to you entirely
It is your gift to yourself

Bisexual Visibility Month

Celebrating Bi Visibility on the day on the rooftop of Camden Town Hall and performed at Incite @The Phoenix in September 2016.

Do or die, laugh or cry, why not?
Gay or Bi, bold or shy, let’s not
Pretend we haven’t been there.
Or tell ourselves we aren’t aware.

Let’s not judge, just because we,
Haven’t experienced the possibility.
Let’s put our prejudice aside
Be Gay or Bi, no need to hide.

September is the month that we
Celebrate Bisexuality.
It’s pretty cool to be that way,
Open to love, both Straight and Gay.

And who the hell are we to say
It’s wrong to be able to feel that way?
Don’t we hate it when people say
That it’s not natural to be Trans or Gay.

So let’s embrace the joy that we
Can share together, of being free.
Instead of a wall let’s have a door,
Instead of less, let’s have more.

It’s love that makes the world rotate,
Let’s support each other, not hesitate.
Let’s make the world a better place,
For Bisexuals of every, age and race.

Refugees

This poem was featured on BBC World Service, performed by a refugee in the first person.

Travelling hundreds of miles on foot
Pushing prams, holding the hands
Of exhausted children.
Risking life and limb.

Drowning in deep wild water,
Dragged along tracks and roads,
Suffocating in dark hot Lorries,
Crushed by panic-stricken crowds.

Dodging bullets and abuse,
Enduring hunger and hardship.
Risking everything for the chance
Of a life without fear.

Theirs is the voice of desperation,
Unfailing courage and hope.
They are calling out to humanity,
They are people like us.

There is no point in sitting
On the wooden, metal or moral fence.
These people are unstoppable,
We have to let them in.

IDOHAR

Now is the time to remember.
To remember the beauty and innocence of love,
To remember to nurture and protect it.

Now is not the time for silence.
For sitting on the fence, being invisible.
Remember, we deserve to love and be loved.

It’s time to stand up for justice.
Shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, heart to heart.
For our community and ourselves.

Remembering those brothers and sisters,
Whose senseless torture and killing, pushed us past
The acceptance of hate crime against us.

Let us not continue to be beaten.
Verbally abused, discriminated against, or murdered
Because of the special love we share.

Now is the time to remember
That we can address prejudice, bullying and hatred.
That we can make a real difference

Let us not forget that love.
Nourishes and restores us, makes us strong,
That our love will triumph over hatred.

Kisses Count

She didn’t cook she warned me,
I mustn’t expect too much.
She needn’t have worried

I watched and waited . . .
Listened to her nervous chatter,
Mesmerized by her pale loveliness.

We sat on her sofa.
She kissed me, then said she shouldn’t.
Too late . . . the kissing had commenced.

In truth, we couldn’t stop.
So we kissed and kissed,
And what kisses they were . . . .

Long and languid, lying in bed
Covered by duvets and dogs.
A curtain of cherry blossom at the window.

Cold and wet, shivering on Clacton Pier
As the rain poured through the boardwalk
Into the churning sea below

Fierce and urgent, in shop doorways,
In dark deserted Soho streets.
Waylaid by desire on the way home.

Snatched, between courses . . . .
Of dinner served to oblivious friends,
Amidst dirty dishes and bubbling pans.

Aflame, on the fire escape
During the too short intervals,
Of Tristan and Isolde.

A kaleidoscope of kisses
Wherever, whenever we wanted
Until, satiated, we stopped.

The Caravan Club

Who cares that they hate us
Out there, on the street.
Here we have a place,
We can secretly meet.

We can dress how we like,
Just relax and enjoy
Without fear or shame,
Be a girl or a boy.

We adopt new names,
Play gender games
Love outside the Law
At the Caravan Club.

It has to be said
I feel quite Queer
I wonder if it’s because
Lady D. is sitting near.

I wouldn’t say no,
Shouldn’t like to miss
An opportunity if it arose
And, she offered me a kiss

I’m feeling, oh so Queer!
On a cushion I shall lie
Perhaps she might come over
And we’ll kiss & coo & sigh.

I love it here,
It’s naughty, safe & fun.
We can be ourselves
No need to hide or run.

At The Caravan Club.

Hero

A living interactive poem performed at Polari on the South Bank.

I’m Batman, I’m Wonder-woman,
I’m a super-hero called GAY.
I’m Trans, Bi, Intersexual
And I’m a Hero every day.

I’m Marie Stopes, I’m Nelson Mandela,
I’m not afraid of a fight.
I’m standing up for equality and justice,
Cos I know what’s wrong & what’s right.

I am labelled with love and loathing,
Sometimes I feel afraid.
Then I take solace from my fabulous friends
On the gender-bender cavalcade.

Zorro, Emily Pankhurst, Mohammed Ali,
There’s a Hero within us all.
We can make a difference every day.
Be proud. Sing out. Walk tall.

Valentine’s Day

This is a poem for the broken hearted.
For those who have loved and lost.
The Star crossed lovers
Who set their course on ‘Mission Impossible’

Don’t be sad because you’ve tried and failed.
Because your hopes are dashed,
Because you never saw it coming,
Or, saw it coming and wished it wouldn’t.

Remember the love you had in your heart.
How generously you gave it.
You are that same person,
Be kind to yourself, have a cup of tea.

This is a day unlike any other.
Drenched in commercialism and expectation.
Our hearts are wrenched out of our pockets.
Tomorrow is another day.

Time heals. It reveals. It goes on.
It makes buds blossom.
And fruit rot on the vine.
There’s no stopping its ruthless progress

On this auspicious day of Love
Write down for posterity
Something you like about yourself
Send yourself a Valentine

The Consequences Of Kisses

I performed ‘The Consequence of kisses at an evening celebrating ‘Who, Why & How We Are’ at The Poetry Cafe WC2.

Kisses can have consequences.
Even those, secret snatched ones
In the back of someone’s car, or cupboard.
That no-one else saw

Kisses do in fact count.
Including those wet, half biting ones
That fill your mouth with saliva…
That you’d like to forget

Or the ones, with someone’s
Girlfriend, wife, or maiden aunt.
Whilst drunk, and alone,

Read the whole poem

Change

This is a chill Autumn wind.
A wind of change
It dances the golden leaves off the bough
Sweeps me out of arms reach,
Turns friends into strangers.

This wind blows through my bones
Shaking loose flotsam
Makes the impossible almost possible
Pushing and yielding, reaching in and out
Becoming more than a lover

In this brisk Autumn breeze
Anything could happen
Your life could change for the better
For worse, for nothing for something or other
Only the wind knows

Gender

We are what we are, Or are not.
We are fluid as air and water. Elastic.
We can be one way, Then another.
Grow into ourselves over time. Expand

We are shape-shifters, Dream catchers.
People who take risks… Courageous.
We are you, we are me, we are us,
Bound together by hope and understanding.

Coram Fields

Stereotypes are boring.
Stereotypes feel tight.
What’s the point of squashing in
To something that doesn’t feel right.

It’s okay to be different.
It’s okay to be Queer.
We’re all the same just under our skin
We deserve to live without fear.

Bullies are pathetic.
Bullies are uncool.
If they think hate can make it right
They really are the fool.

Just relax and be yourself
Don’t worry what people say
Be the person you want to be
Non binary, Straight, Trans or Gay

Seaside Pride

Sung to 'I do like to be beside the seaside'

Oh! I love to be Gay beside the seaside,
It’s so great being Gay beside the sea.
Yes I do like to mince along the Prom, Prom Prom,
Holding my girlfriends hand
Tiddly-om-pom-pom.

It’s so nice to be gay beside the seaside,
To see L.G.B.T’s beside the sea,
And there’s lots of Dykes beside
I should like to be beside,
Beside the seaside, beside the sea.

I’m so proud to be Gay beside the seaside
It’s so Fab being Gay astride the sea
Just the thought of having all that sea, sand, sex.
Makes me feel quite Queer
You can imagine the rest!

It’s our day to be Gay beside the seaside
Gender Benders abound beside the sea
If you take a look around
Something special can be found
A friend or lover, you and me.

Women Who Travel

Off…off…off on the wings of a dove we are.
On a plane or a boat, or a bus we are.
Be it near or far, by train, or car.
We are women, who travel.

Up… up… up on the crest of a wave we are.
Propelled by a whim, and a wish we are.
We cannot say no, at the chance just to go.
We are women, who travel.

Go… go… go for a dare, for the fun of it.
Lose your head and your heart, take a run at it.
Be thrilled be frightened, your consciousness heightened
We are women, who travel

Torture Times Two

Why choose to be tortured by love…
When life is so short, and death is so long
Why keep falling back into…
Familiar patterns of pain and failure

Why struggle and rage, cajole and placate,
Trying to change what you cannot
It’s about sorrow… it’s about loss
Who pays the price…who absorbs the cost?

Let it go…feel that flow,
An ending, a beginning…fast or slow
Why choose to be bruised with a blow?
Let it go…let it go. Let it go.

Kisses Count (Part 2)

Ten years later.

You call me on the telephone
We talk for 2 hours,
And I fall for you all over again,
Hook, Line and Sinker.

It’s not what you say
That reels me in.
It’s the way you suck your cigarette
In the long silences.

Your breathy giggle
Bubbles in my spine,
Ripples from throat to thigh.
Leaving me awash

This romantic friendship
Shows no abatement
We remain connected, by kisses
Past and present

Love Bug

I’ve been bitten by the love bug,
It pierced me in the eye.
I saw you and my legs went weak,
And I began to sigh.

A rosy rash began to spread.
It started on my ear.
For as we spoke, the things you said,
Reverberated in my head.

Then my hands began to itch,
And the only way to ease them
Was to let our fingers intertwine
With our bodies in between them.

The love bug is contagious,
Now my girlfriend has it too.
Time will out, if it’s wrong or right
Meanwhile I’ll say, I do

Ergo

What is that thing – that courses
Through the heart and soul of us.
That propels us to reach out…
Into the deep, dark unknown

What is that thing – that makes
Our pulse quicken, breath shorten
That undoes logical thought…
Making any consequences, inconsequential

Perhaps it is a pulse – radiating
From the earths molten core.
Surging through the soles of our feet
Flooding us with restless heat.

Might it be a magnetic charge
From a distant star
That churns and turns the waters
Without and within us

Whatever, wherever, however
We are subject
To its capricious whim, captive
To its mighty, mysterious force

Spooky Kinda Love

It’s spooky…you and me.
Spooky how I hear your voice in my ear,
Then turn around…and you’re not there.
Spooky how when I feel hungry,
My mouth is filled with the taste of your cunt.
It’s spooky.

It’s spooky…how we are.
Spooky how, when I walk in woods or forests
I can smell your scent in the air.
Spooky that I know you’re thinking of me.
That you’ll text, or call me very soon.
It’s spooky.

It’s spooky…our romance.
Spooky how, when we’re apart we’re still close.
That I’m simultaneously, settled and unsettled.
Spooky that I remember things you’ve said,
That I think of you when I don’t mean to,
It’s spooky

I think you’ve put a spell on me,
Like I’ve put a spell on you
There’s a lot of stuff I’d like to say.
But this love that’s running through my mind
Makes me deaf, dumb, stupid and blind.
It’s spooky

Spring

This is the libretto for a song cycle called ‘Seasons of Love’. It charts a same-sex love affair, likening each phase of the relationship to the yearly cycle of the seasons. I am engaging with contemporary classical composer Rose Miranda Hall to have it orchestrated. This is the 'Spring' section.

I have passed through sorrow,
I was lost, frightened,
Now my spirits are lifting, my heart is lighter.
Solitude, A gift of freedom ,
Now is the season of hope and light.
Sap rising, buds beginning.

Time passes, the earth turns. Time passes, seasons change.

Aha … I see her…. Our eyes meet
Such beauty, such grace,
We talk, we laugh, we are amazed,
There is a sense of recognition.
Of possibility, of promise , of possibility
We kiss ...Ah yes.

Time passes, the earth turns, time passes, seasons change.

Summer

This is the libretto for a song cycle called ‘Seasons of Love’. It charts a same-sex love affair, likening each phase of the relationship to the yearly cycle of the seasons. This is the 'Summer' section.

I am in heaven
Our love affair is blooming,
Bursting with colour and life,
Overflowing with every joy.
Now is the season of fulfilment,
Nature in all her majestic glory.

Oh what bliss, what bliss
Her body, its perfume, her touch, her kiss….
Long languid days, sweet sultry nights..
Where does she end, and I begin..
We are drowning
Drowning in love.

Time passes, the earth turns. Time passes, seasons change.

Autumn

This is the libretto for a song cycle called ‘Seasons of Love’. It charts a same-sex love affair, likening each phase of the relationship to the yearly cycle of the seasons. This is the 'Autumn' section.

The days are getting shorter, darker.
Cool winds have chilled me to the bone.
So many needs and expectations,
I feel stifled
Now is the season of mellow fruitfulness,
Ours is a meagre harvest.

Loves early promise lies unfulfilled
Fruits withered on the stem
Nature or nurture, it will be the death of me.
I am running out,
Running out,
Of faith

Time passes, the earth turns. Time passes, seasons change.

Winter

This is the libretto for a song cycle called ‘Seasons of Love’. It charts a same-sex love affair, likening each phase of the relationship to the yearly cycle of the seasons. This is the 'Winter' section.

I am frozen, shut down
Hardly living.
The earth is cold, branches stripped bare,
Sap returned to source.
Now is the season of hibernation,
Time to pause, reflect, recover.

The loss, The sorrow
The bitter disappointment.
I gave too much.
Received too little, too late..
I am broken, .broken
Broken.

Time passes, the earth turns.
Time passes, seasons change
Music moving into SPRING

Shout Out