This tanka was inspired by my experiences of participating in poetry slams. This style of performance poetry is one I struggle to master as it doesn’t come naturally to me…we are like oil and water (both absolutely valid and wonderful, but just not a good match). For those of you not familiar with a tanka,Continue reading “A tanka for your Tuesday”
Author Archives: angeletoomey
For one of my cats
If you have a pet you will know how much personality can be bundled into seemingly small beings. This poem was inspired by my darling 5 year old Esme, a felonious feline and bringer of both joy and lizards. A warm afternoonShe is stretched outpretendingto sleep buther eyes are half open.A sigh asshe realises IContinue reading “For one of my cats”
Happy Mother’s Day
For the all mothers, and mothers-at-heart, and the people who love them…this one’s for you. Recollections Do you remember the smell of our first rain in years? The way it hung with organic promise in the air as the temperature fell? Initial drops were fat and heavy – dive bombing the powder dry soil beatingContinue reading “Happy Mother’s Day”
Memory triggers
This poem was inspired by an image that came to me of someone opening an old cupboard and seeing a blue jacket. In writing the poem I put myself in that person’s shoes. A “manrobe” is a half-height wardrobe with a small set of drawers, which were very popular through the first half of theContinue reading “Memory triggers”
Free form Friday
This poem was the product of hearing the first line in my head and then letting it tumble from neuron to notebook. Insights My thoughts are running wild falling over themselves as they trip on hidden punctuation, becoming dunk on self congratulation My emotions are complexities woven into the strata of an archeological dig: objectsContinue reading “Free form Friday”
Uncontainable lust for life
This poem is freshly lifted from the notebook. It was written after I’d had lunch and was looking at my back garden – it is a place of pride and shame. Pride because it can feed my family and shame because we do not give it the attention it deserves while at the same areContinue reading “Uncontainable lust for life”
The anti-list poem poem
Speaking only for me and my writing, I tend to write list poems when I am feeling stalled and need to just start pushing my pen across the paper to unblock. Perhaps this is why my list poems tend to be rants about how messed up the patriarchy is…you have agree it generates a LOTContinue reading “The anti-list poem poem”
Water
This poem is one I’ve been kicking around for a while. There was a perfect iteration but I lost it and can won’t ever be able to recreate the magic. Falling Like water falling over waterfalls Like water flowing in tidal waves. Like water washing over time again. Like tears falling in waterfalls flowing asContinue reading “Water”
You, my imagined reader
Today’s offering is not a poem. It is perhaps a short story of sorts. I wrote it as I was putting my book together about 2 years ago. Writing is an incredibly solitary experience, and when the words are released into the wild the author loses any control over how they are understood or treated.Continue reading “You, my imagined reader”
Riding the pandemic waves
This poem was inspired by my return to the office this week, the first time in three months I had to use my swipe card, sit at my desk, say hi to whole people (and not just their head and shoulders). It was also the tail end of the school holidays. The return Like seagullsContinue reading “Riding the pandemic waves”
Angele Toomey Poetry 