My Grandma During the Cuban Missile Crisis

Kennedy is on the radio but she

has mouths to feed, bottoms to wipe.

Only twenty four, she has three kids

already, all under the age of five,

and a husband working all hours

of the day and night. What concern

has she for armageddon? No time

to dwell, with that pile of laundry

at the foot of the stairs. A division of labour –

that’s what this is. Let others sort

the world out; she has teeth to clean,

shoes to put on, meals to prepare.

For what is the world for, if not

for love? And where is love

if not within these four little walls?

Joshua Seigal 

Valentine's Day FOOD POEMS

I was delighted to visit South Camberley Primary School yesterday. We did an activity I am very fond of: writing love poems...to food! I thought I'd take the opportunity to share a few of these poems, which are of course particularly pertinent with its being Valentine's Day today. Enjoy!

Woman With a Baby

As the bus approaches its stop I notice

a woman holding a baby. She cradles it

carefully, shielding it from the rain. She looks

at it lovingly, tenderly – nothing will harm

her baby. We get a little closer and I can

see that the thing she is holding is too small

to be an infant. A puppy, perhaps? A kitten?

Her smile is soft, her gaze aglow. But no –

yet closer inspection reveals the object to be

neither flesh nor blood: she’s cradling

a phone. The woman at the bus stop

is cradling her phone. She gets on the bus,

stepping up with deliberation – careful,

slow. She takes the seat next to mine.

The microchips glisten at the back of her eyes.

Joshua Seigal 

Question Marks?

I like to use the question mark?

I just can’t seem to stop?

It is a little habit

that I cannot ever drop?

No sentence is complete for me

unless I lob some in??

Whenever I put question marks

I break out in a grin??

You may not think it necessary???

Well, I disagree???

A stanza full of question marks

is what I like to see???

Some people think I’m crazy

but they’d better not complain????

At least I’m speaking English

and I do not live in ¿¿¿¿Spain????

Joshua Seigal