I wrote this after noticing a blue plaque above a doorway in Manchester, announcing Thomas De Quincey’s birthplace.  A man was sleeping rough in the doorway.  I wondered what De … Continue reading De Quincey’s Ghost

(Based on Automat by Edward Hopper) She only comes here at night When the hours stare her full in the face And ask too many questions – And the jobs … Continue reading Empty

I married him when he was still a man Before he became a metaphor for himself, A person concealed within an idea. And they say I’m the crazy one. They … Continue reading The Spy’s Wife

I awoke when the pencil lines met around the contours of my face. At first everything was blurry and a bit strange; until he came into focus. He shaded my … Continue reading Artistic Process

‘Why have you brought me here?  Who are all of these people?’ She looks as though she is starting to panic. ‘It’s fine, Mum.  I’ve brought you here so that … Continue reading The Apple Tree

The last few notes hung in the air like insects; then they fluttered away and she came back to herself.  She realised she had been staring at the ornate ceiling … Continue reading Fledgling

No, it was a comma between ‘that’s what it says’ and ‘honey’.  I stared at the phone stupidly for a moment and then tapped the previous text.  There it was … Continue reading Str.ange Punctuation

  He tells me I am beautiful, then Sweaty arms begin their embrace. Stale smelling breath against skin. Wet lips dripping a kiss. Like a dog licking my face; and … Continue reading First Kiss (nonet poem)

It was that kind of night – when you couldn’t sleep, even if you wanted to.  The electricity prickled around you, scratching invisible fingers along your spine. Nothing worked properly … Continue reading Siren

Tick, tock.  Tick, tock.  Tick, tock. The room is dark, and silent apart from the mechanical heartbeat of the carriage clock over the hearth.  One of my own creations, rosewood … Continue reading Tick Tock