Stuart Miller-Osborne

After Haiku The Tanka Is the dominant Verse form in Japan A Tanka Consists of thirty-one syllables Arranged in five lines of 5-7-5-7-7 I have a Japanese sister Her name is Akira She does not speak English But understands French I understand French So she taught me About The Tanka Whilst we were waiting For…

My uncle used to live in East London He had an unusual collection of photographs These included photos of the front door step At 37 Brewer Street where he lived until 2003 He then moved from East London to East London On South Africa’s Eastern Cape Before he left he gave me a small album…

About a month ago I sat next to a freshwater lake I was reading the works of Kierkegaard As I often do when sitting next to freshwater lakes Jane was feeding the ducks and geese Who happily consumed the bread and buns I felt quite free and not at least anxious So much that a…

I explore the primitive To discover the roots Of the colours within

evening train brightly lit reflected violet green flowers late of pink

Accept these my sweet roses Cécile As a token of my love We stroll these summer fields Cécile And watch the tender skies Heavens choir Cécile Cécile Sweet songs from above John Sellers May (1934)

Many years ago when visiting my home village I spoke to a farmer in a country lane Our discussion centred around change And why the fields and trees More or less remained the same He noted that hummingbirds Were only active for a few seasons Before they destroyed themselves The faster you live the faster…

Weep Weep From the cliff To the deep Weep My Poppyland Weep Sleep Sleep From the cliff To the deep Sleep My Poppyland Sleep

The blood red poppies Covered the fields That led to the tower Which no longer stands These were our haunts Before their decline

I can hear my guests Long before I can see them As the loose stones Warn me like geese Yet this lane Is rarely occupied As I do not receive visitors