Mischievous streak
Well-worn with
Longer than average
Locks. Wardrobe
Slightly more black
Than is fashionable
But not out of place
For the morning commute
Small signs, nothing overt
Letting slip some things
Behind closed doors
To trusted friends
Over drinks
Nothing serious
A harmless habit
Sewing circles, book clubs,
Keeping a solitary cat
Growing the odd pot of herbs
Reading, cooking, stitching wishes
All perfectly normal pastimes
For a middle-aged mum
Refusing to pay too much
Attention to the pruning
Hedges running amuck
Except that one bush in the
Shape of a five-pointed
Blobby something
That could be a star
If you squint properly
Or perhaps a large flower
Who can say?
Getting into the spirit
Of the seasons
Treating Hallow’een as
Others might Christmas
A night in with family
Alive and not-so-much
Candles, cake, roast veg
Nuts and berries
Communing after dark
Orange face grin-split
To show off the light within
A toast to the wheel
That keeps turning
Year round
Springing from
Youthful dawn
To beldam and bonfire
Quiet and crafty
Safe as houses
Keeping things tidy
Communing with
One’s own nature
In the pleasant anonymity
Of the leafy suburbs
Katherine Shirley 