Poems published in Our Private Literature and accepted for North East Review

So, it gives me much pleasure to say that 'Flowers for your Hair' has been accepted for publication by North East Review. For obvious reasons, I cannot put this up here until they have actually published it and some time has elapsed before that, but put it I will. So watch this space!


In the meantime, 'Sad Ootin' was published in another newbie journal that is published from North east India. This issue centred around "Protest". Okay, so I'll leave you with Sad Ootin!

Sad Ootin

Ootin is an elf

With a Piglet face

Pixie ears, needle

Eyes and nose.

A flick of my wand

And Ootin appears

Bowing low to the ground

From his waist. Thy wish,

He says, is my command.

Ootin has a fractured soul

A split face, and creaky arms

That need oiling. He also has

A cracked tongue.

Ootin slaves hard night

And day, catering to my whims

He cleans, cooks, washes, sweeps

And sometimes, he brings stolen

Honey from bees, or nectar

From butterflies. Ootin

Does my shopping

So I stay home. He also

Does my work.

I need to keep Ootin busy,

Very busy. Ootin, you see

Is under a curse

When he finishes work

He does mischief, he sticks things.

Yes, he sticks doors and windows

So I can’t open them. He sticks holes

In clothes, so I can’t wear them.

He sticks pots and pans,makes

A mountain of them. He once stuck

A child’s mouth, so it wouldn’t open.

For this, he is punished, yes

of course he is punished.

He is burnt in the fireplace

And beaten with a stick.

Poor Ootin. Sad Ootin.

His is a sad life. Ootin,you see,

Can stick things, but he cannot

Stick his fractured soul, his cracked

Tongue, or his creaking arms.

Otherwise

He could have been free.