Life in degrees is a personal poetry and occasional short story blog .
Life is seen in many different ways or degrees and with the help of poetry, stories, music and art we may view it from many perspectives.
Poetry is medication for the soul

All contributions and comments will be welcomed Kez


All material on this site is copyright so please ask for permission for use.

Life In degrees ,Poetry and Stories for a different slant on Life

Below Are some Links Of other sites you may be interested in. ( more to be added )


Sunday 2 December 2012

Missing You


Missing You 

Picture by www.emilianoponzi.com
Hugging your pillow, 
Ain't quite the same, 
As snuggling with you, 
And calling your name. 

Missing You!

Eating dinner solo, 
Munching the bone, 
Not chatting with you, 
Just being alone
Missing You! 

Sitting watching drivel, 
Like we do, 
It seems to make sense, 
When its us two. 

Missing You !

Random thoughts that enter your head, 
Now it's just silence. 
No mumbling philosophy, 
The space is dead. 

Missing You !

So hurry home, 
Fill the space, 
Snuggle up tight, 
Make my heart race. 

Missing You !

Hugging my pillow 
Ain't quite the same,
Missing you 
Saying my name !

Missing you is what I do 
When it just me 
And not us two 
Missing you !

Submitted to dVerse Poets poetics whose theme was Missing you check out other submissions 

Friday 9 November 2012

Fallen

Fallen

It hung upon his bedroom door,
A khaki suit worn no more,
He left to become a man
Ideas of freedom,
Equality and peace,
His dreams were naive
At the very least!

He followed his dreams,
To lands afar,
His dreams were wished upon to a wandering star,
He did his best, fought alongside his comrades,
The same as him, mainly lads, 
They witnessed  death ,blood, and gore, 
Inside the boy was killed  he was a lad no more, 
As a man his life was short 
The killing machines held their own kangaroo court. 

He returned to his homeland laid in a box,
His life deceased and memories locked 
It hangs upon his bedroom door,
A khaki suit worn no more, 
Only the memories of the fine boy he'd been, 
 All his potential for greatness, silenced, unseen!



Remembering all those all over the world who have fallen in the quest for peace!

Sunday 4 November 2012

Winter Survival

Winter Survival 
Iced winds chill the atmosphere, 
Causing strife, worry and morbid fear, 
Cutting through to every fibre, 
No choice but to become a survivor! 

Plumage gone, deceased! 
As icy winds strengthen like some Maddening beast, 
Cutting through every fibre, 
Only choice to be strong, become a survivor!

Warmer winds and sun that shines, 
Will return in its time, 
 Warming through to every fibre, 
Proving to one and all,... WE are survivors!


Picture by Sueann check out her site for more fab pictures. 

Friday 19 October 2012

A Collection Regurgitated For Halloween


A Collection  Regurgitated For Halloween 


With Just over a week to go I thought it a good idea to put all my Halloween inspired poems and rhymes in one place ...hope you enjoy and if you you do please leave a comment hope you get spooked this Halloween  ..check out the links at the end of this post for some longer spooks ! 

Cracks 


Halloween approaches as autumn encroaches 
The structures of all worlds fractured and torn 
No-one or nothing prepare for what is to be born, 
In the heavens above are gods who are misunderstood 
Us 'twixt between, angry at governments, not good! 
Then there is those way down below, 
Where no mortal man wants or dreams to go.
Awaiting this date to avenge their fate. 
Small cracks which have appeared 
Things needing mending but mere mortals sneer, 
Allowing their societies to riot, spread notoriety, 
The undead seize their chances to walk amongst men 
Hoping their gods may this time pardon them,
They are the undead condemned to fiery hell, 
A peaceful existence would not bode well 
The murders, rapists and all of life's scum 
Become the undead or zombies if they don't succumb
To an ordered pleasant reality 
A human race, loving and respecting community. 
But those cracks that have appeared in our earthly existence, 
Negate our guarantee of evil resistance! 
So if pavement cracks suddenly appear 
Scream loudly, scream out in fear !
In hope that your fellow man 
Will help you fight evil if he can 
But the horror of this world 
Is that people's ability for empathy is unfurled 
Evil is not the zombies or the undead 
Fear only those that breathe instead !

Behind Closed Doors

Behind Closed Doors 


Shush quiet Can you hear ?

Your closest neighbours Screaming in fear

Vibrating through the earthly still

A blood curling, piercing, spine chilling,shrill,

Behind close doors where few may peek 

May live a hideous inhuman freak,

Only here in human form

Waiting patiently for a new moon to dawn,

Then its fangs will appear organically

His thirst for blood will grip him manically

So your neighbour who you greet

Say hello too each time you meet,

May not be all he seems,

So shush quiet

Can you hear

Your neighbour

Scream !

Jef Aerosol


A Scream In The Night

                   Scream In The Night 

scared catAs I lay with the light shining eerily off the moon,
I slept soundly, morning always came way too soon !
When suddenly, a wild piercing blood curdling scream
Startled me to a jolt from my world of dreams,
I sat bolt upright,chilled to the bone,
Something not human. possessed my home, 
Banging and thumping I could hear from afar, 
The moon light skipped in through my door ajar,
Gingerly, half asleep, I stumbled out of my bed, 
To face the confusion that was causing me dread ! 
The screaming bounced around, resonating off every wall,
I tiptoed as quiet as I could, heart beating into the hall,
The banging and screaming multiplied and amplified,
My beating heart and thumping fear became louder, fortified,
scared catThe source of the hullabaloo became clearer and clearer,
I edged up closer and closer getting nearer and nearer 
To the terrific noise, the source which was now hardcore !
As I felt along the wall with fingertips to the mouth of the door,
Entering I came face to face with a pink coloured tangle,
                            
                            
Goo Oozing out of a face that seemed mangled,

A monster possessed just wanting to fight, 
I'd completely forgot that tonight was that night
I promised, I'd take to it like a duck to water, 
A night I could look after my god-daughter 
A cuddle and coo to this little angel ensued
For if her mummy and daddy knew this story,
I would be totally screwed !!!!


Doolally Doris 

We have a haunting 
Its not that daunting 
It's an old dame called Doris 
Who use to live wild in the forest 
She is the craziest  ghost, 
 But unlike most 
She loves to act daft! 
Have a laugh!
So every Halloween 
She has the same old routine, 
She floats in to town, 
Shadows all the children around 
She chuckles and jokes 
Like a very drunken bloke 
This is her treat, 
To all of us in the street, 
BUT 
She is so spookily of her nut 
She bids us farewell 
By Cheekily 
Flashing her butt !




Anyone For A Kickabout

Anyone For A Kickabout 

We were off to visit my great great auntie Jean 
She was old, wrinkly, spindly and mean, 
Because of her big cabaggy ears 
She had a horn made of bone so she could hear 
She'd shout real loud she said to make her self clear
In her rickety rickety old house made of wood 
We played quietly like mice that was understood 
She kept strange things high up on shelves 
An eyeball in a jar and dolls that looked like elves 
From the shelves hung whips of dried up lavender
As far as I know she was never a gardener 

One night when the moon shone and I couldn't rest 
I crept down those creaky stairs quiet as I could, I tried my best 
I  sat on the bottom step and saw with my very own eyes 
The dolls come to life, turned in to their Elfy guise,
They shimmed down the lavender ropes 
                                        
Somehow with the jar aloft they kind of coped
They dance upon the jar top 
And clapped with glee when it went pop 
That staring eye was suddenly kicked out 
The elves went mad and began to shout 
The next I knew they were playing eyeball!
The eye was kicked as they played 
The eyeball rolled and gunge was splayed 
it looked like there had been a slug invasion 
Slime was all over the house on that occasion 
No one team seem to win a game 
But one of the elves became very lame 
All his kin seem suddenly scared 
And shimmed back up the lavender 
It seemed they didn't care! 

Next morning I found I fallen asleep at the bottom of the stairs 
What I saw next, tickle me all over, even my hair !
My  great great auntie Jean pick up the now still dead elf 
Looked up and counted the others were still on the shelf 
With one flick of her hand the elf melted into her hearing horn
The bit she held it by, the bit that was well worn! 
She search the floor, scoured all about, 
"where's that eyeball gone" she began to shout 
She followed some slime trails around the room 
Then she finally she spied it, it had rolled beside her broom

Never was I to return to my great great Auntie Jeans 
But I was never to forget what I swear I had seen 
So beware of old ladies with bits on very high shelves 
For they may need a new team of eyeball playing elves   

Check out these links for more intense deeper and spookier tales 
Heaven sent  A tale about not quite a normal little girl !
Penance  We all have a Penance but what is yours ?

Hope you have enjoyed some of these if so please leave a comment x 

Tuesday 11 September 2012

CLEAN ME !



CLEAN ME !!

CLEAN ME, CLEAN ME !
My body screams
From the inside out 
With those damn machines 
Body screaming, shouting out, 
Organ failing that's not in doubt 
Skin itchy and lizard like. 
Body exhausted threatening to strike, 
CLEAN ME, CLEAN ME !
My body screams

Yet I have a daily fill of capsuled toxins, 
Pills popping constantly,needles stinging like scorpions 
Legs shaky on any incline 
Hook me up now, like Frankenstein! 
I finally admit I'm in defeat 
CLEAN ME, CLEAN ME !
While I'm still on my feet, 

 CLEAN ME, CLEAN ME !
My body screams ! 


Tuesday 4 September 2012

Word Order

Word Order 

It's shambolic 
Spilling all over the page, 
My feelings, my anger,
Sometimes my rage, 
Words scrambled,
Fighting for a place 
Letters needing sorting,
Put in the right case,
A beat needs established
So it gently flows, 
What to go with ?
A rhyme?
Some prose ?
Once completed, 
Its sounds good 
Kinda of neat, 
But as I go to bed 
My thoughts are 
Was it worth it, 
Will it ever be read ?



Monday 3 September 2012

Memories

Memories 
Summer Night 1913 Albert Bloch

Memories slowly form, 
 Nostalgia creeps in like a dusky dawn 
Times long past 
Moments that are deemed to last, 
Of people and places,
Lovers faces, 
 Rivals spats, 
Segments of drunken chats, 
All brought to the fore 
A peek inside that memory door, 
That makes you and me 
Now,
What you see, 
It's the good and bad
The laughs, the sad, 
That moulds and controls
Now
 What you see 
My memories make me ! 


Submitted to Magpie Tales  check out others interpretation of this fabulous painting  



Thursday 30 August 2012

A Letter To Me

A Letter To Me 

Innocent in it's creaminess lying there 
Packaged tightly in it's little square 
Neatly scribed in the darkest ink 
What could it say? it made me think!
All those I knew used electronic means, 
To get in touch, or so it seemed, 
Everything they used made some noise 
Phones buzzing or shrilling, impossible to avoid! 
But this novel missive sent to me, 
Posed something of a mystery  
Gingerly I fingered the little square, 
Still wondering stupidly, what's in there?
I tore the triangular seal apart 
Felt the quickening of my heart,
Words blurry on a creamy, milky sheet, 
Slowly formed till they were clear and neat, 
I slowly read what was on that page 
Words that will stay with me for an age, 
Words that are meant just for me 
So my letter will remain my mystery, 


 Submitted to ; Poetry Jam where the prompt was Letters

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Seedling

Seedling 

There was a germ in my head, 
As I drifted to sleep, snuggled in my bed, 
A seed of an idea! 
Just a morsel, a thought, a nibble to inspire, 
Rhymes of times gone past 
A masterpiece that would last, 
In the minds of some, 
Something remembered for years to come, 
Contented sleep replaced my aspirations, 
A worm had infested and zapped my imagination, 
The seed consumed, macerated, banished 
Ideas empty, mental thoughts lacking, vanished !
So 
The paper stays dead !
All thoughts locked somewhere in my head, 
Deep, Deep down that seed is somewhere,
 It's survived !
Till then I stare at this blank space until I can rediscover it, 
Bring this blank dead paper some substance 
Bring it alive ! 

Moss Steet Art by Anna Garforth


More Art By Anna Garforth



Tuesday 21 August 2012

Happiness is ....

Happiness is .........


Seeing your Beautiful Daughter so happy and so in love !!!!!

Sunday 5 August 2012

Turn Back Time

Turn Back Time 

If I step back in time 
Way way back before my prime 
When the world was all mine 
Tiny, insular and undefined, 
My wild, unbridled imagination 
Turned even the norm into wonder and fascination, 
Autumnal stripped trees who were once wooded glades 
Suddenly turned to a landscape where aliens had to invade,
Those knotted roots that tripped and trapped, 
Made especially so them critters could watch how we'd adapt, 
Candy striped deck chairs upturned onto a lawn, 
Became my secret hideaway into many a dawn, 
Cars with bright lights, whizzing past, 
Were huge monster guzzling the landscape after a fast, 
Those tiny sparkling stars in the sky
Were angels watching me with their beady eyes, 
Gloomy graveyards with the resting dead 
Were definitely  places were all vampires fed, 
And those churches that loomed into the sky 
Were their dens where they practise to fly, 
My imagination is now in decline
I'm now way way past that sweet childhood time 
My world is here, now! and totally defined, 
Oh if we could just turn back time !



Submitted to : dVerse Poets Poetics  where fab poets create and share check it out !!!!

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Ice Cream Days

Ice Cream Days 

It's an ice cream day 
Yummy, Yummy 
Hip! hip! hooray!
Blue skies and sun rays ,
Yummy, Yummy
It's an ice cream day !

The sun is shining and the sky is blue, 
Not a lot one can do, 
But lick and indulge in creamy coldness,
Pistachio, Chocolate or flavours with boldness. 
Eat it quick before it drips, 
Feel it oozing between your lips, 
Feel the iciness slide all the way down, 
It will keep you smiling and banish all frowns !

Enjoy an ice cream day 
Yummy, Yummy,
Hip! Hip! Hooray !
Be a kid for your ice cream day, 
Soak up the sun and skies of blue 
You know it's what you want to do !

Yummy, Yummy,
Hip! Hip! Hooray !
We've waited so long for our 
Ice Cream day !

Street art by Banksy, Image credits: matski_98 via boredpanda



Wednesday 18 July 2012

Raining Cats and Dogs

Raining Cats And Dogs 

The limitless, rhythmic, rain 
Constant,
Upon the window 
Splish, splashing, mesmerizing 
Me into daydreams
In it's hypnotic incessant, 
 Obese clouds idly wandering around 
Holding July hostage, 
Calling a halt to the glitter of sun 
Upon my dreams. 

A white cat staring out the window on a rainy day.

Wordle: Today's Weather
Please write a poem, a prose, or
 a short story using a minimum 5 or more words 
from the wordle shown above!

Submitted to Bluebell Books Short Story Slam where the Wordle above was the prompt 

Sunday 15 July 2012

The Waiting Game

The Waiting Game 


She waited for you 
She watched the clock 
Slowly ticking, tick, tock 
She held hope in her heart 
This was her new start, 
The man of her dreams 
Or so you seemed 
She waited for you 
She thought one 
might become two 
Gin was her solace 
Alone in the darkness 
She waited for you 
Tear stained face 
At the thought of your embrace 
She had her dreams 
Of her ideal scene 
Her and you 
Just you two 
She waited !


Submitted to Magpie Tales  where the picture was used for a prompt 

Let The Love Grow


Let The Love Grow 

As Man and Wife
You'll build the foundations of your love,
Each kissed placed
Should be your building bricks,  
Warm emotions will radiate, create 
Love of the unknown, 
A wealth of understanding to be nurtured
To be grown.

Your foundations will solidify through your years,  
The laughs, the smiles,
Sometimes the tears, 
Together you will merge, entwine,
Solo outside, but inside combined,
New Memories will be made 
filed,
To create your new joint history,
Your future together an intriguing mystery!

But love is organic 
It will flourish and grow, 
Love will regenerate, create even more,
The fresh roots of love will bind
In time,  
Emotions will reach fresh heights, intensify,
Mature !

You must cherish your foundations and roots ,
So your love remains fresh,
New growth will reveal new shoots 
So your two souls can combine to live ,
Forever,Together, 
Spring should remain constant in your hearts, 
Always new ground to uncover, 
New gifts to be found,
Discovered! 

Love is your gift ! 

My Daughter asked me to write something for her forthcoming marriage this is the amalgamation of several previous writings combined with my love and hopes for her and her future husband   


Sunday 8 July 2012

Transplant Week



Running Out Of Time 

Tick, tock, tick, tock, 
Time is running out 
Its a race against the clock 
Tick...Tock
Tick, tock, tick, tock, 
Blood is been filtered, 
Dialysis still leaves me feeling crock, 
Tick...... tock 
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
Lungs scream for air, 
Scarred, ruined, unable to repair. 
Tick......... tock 
Tick,  tock, tick tock,
Heart is slowly beating, 
Until its final stop, 
Tick.............. ........Tock 
Tick ,tock ,tick, tock,
People can be saved ,
The situation is grave, 
Tick... tock 

Tick ,tock, tick, tock
Time is running out, 
Its a race against the clock, 
Tick, tock ,tick,tock 

Tick, tock, tick, tock ,
Tick ,tock
Tick,
Tock,
   STOP !




A Chance At Life 

I sat with tubes of red coming in and out of veins 
A ritual to endure, if in life I was to remain,
A life of weakness and lethargy,
Conversing with others almost like a zombie.
Thanking god for advances in technology 
Forget-me-not - Myosotis sylvatica
He lay only alive because of machines, 
Bloods and tissues positively  matched and screened.
One family mourns, cries and grieves,
One family smiles relieved at the reprieve. 
Thanking god for advances in technology
Forget-me-not - Myosotis sylvatica
The donor may be gone from earthly plains 
Thou he and his brave family have allowed me to remain
For both families he is in our hearts 
He has let my life happily restart
Thank god for his  ideology 
Forget-me-not - Myosotis sylvatica
Thank You !

Another Rainy Day

Another Rainy Day 

Another dismal, sleepy, stirring
To melancholy drops cascading,
Through the depressing morning curtain call,
The beating of my heart matching the rhythmic beat
Of those relentless drops,
Hope in my heart diminished,
By negative ions bombarding the atmosphere,
Rain be banished ! 
Allow the rays through, 
A glimpse, a hope to survive, 
Let my heart feel light. 
Lift my spirits, 
Energise, let me feel a rebirth,
The seasons are out of kilter 
My being feels splintered 
Out of sorts! 
Let The sun shine !!!!!

Street Art By Banksy

Written and submitted to dVerse Poets Poetics for the prompt of weather