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Tag Archives: Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poet

Hands

22 Sunday Mar 2020

Posted by Worldly Winds in Poetry

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Alexandra Carr-Malcolm, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm Counting Magpies, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm counting magpies limited edition, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm Hands, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poet, Worldly Winds poetry

As so much emphasis is being placed on staying safe by frequent and thorough hand washing, I thought I’d share this poem acknowledging how important they are to us.
Stay safe people, and keep up the hand washing.

Hands

 

Hands that unpick stitches

Hands that hit or hurt

Hands that cradle babies

Hands that shovel dirt

 

Hands of holy worship

Hands that take a life

Hands that make a masterpiece

Or paint one with a knife

 

Hands that create harmony

Hands that cook a meal

Hands that speak a language

Or read on as they feel

 

Hands that work the fields

Hands that heal wounds

Hands that pluck upon a string

Or conduct symphonic sound

 

Hands that hold a champagne glass

Hands that serve up trifle

Hands that hold a sweetheart’s hand

Or hands that hold a rifle

 

Hands that tuck a child in

Hands that make mud pies

Hands that bear a coffin

Or mop sad tears from eyes

 

Hands that hold a pencil

Hands that turn a page

Hands that write down poetry

Or create a play on stage

 

Hands can do so many things

They serve our whole life through

For good or bad, with joy or sad

The choice is up to you.

 

© Hands August 2015

By Alexandra Carr-Malcolm

First Published in – Counting Magpies (Limited Edition) 2015

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Surprise Sandwiches

19 Thursday Mar 2020

Posted by Worldly Winds in childhood, Childhood Memories, Children's poetry, Poetry

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Alexandra Carr-Malcolm, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poet, children's poems, poetry, Surprise Sandwich Alexandra Carr-Malcolm, Worldly Winds poetry

Surprise Sandwiches

 

One of brown sauce, one of red

One of Bovril, jam, or spread

One of lard with salt and pepper

Cheese and pickle tastes much better

Condensed milk is such a treat

Sugar soldiers can’t be beat

 

Take your pick and do not peek

Surprise sarnies Granddad’s treat!

 

 

 

© Surprise Sandwiches 19.03.2020

by Alexandra Carr-Malcolm

 

girl in green and white striped long sleeve shirt holding brown guitar

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

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Philomena

17 Monday Jun 2019

Posted by Worldly Winds in Poetry

≈ 4 Comments

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Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poet, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poetry, Parris, Philomena, Philomena Alexandra Carr-Malcolm, Philomena Lynott, poetry, Worldly Winds, Worldly Winds poetry

This is dedicated to Philomena Lynott. Go well lovely lady.

I wrote this poem in 2016.  I contacted Philomena and asked if it would be alright for me to use ‘Parris’  as the title to my third anthology, as a tribute to her son Philip Parris Lynott.

Phil Lynott as a poet, musician, and singer had a profound impact in my teenage years. The words, music, and mythology intertwined with my complicated and troubled adolescence, getting me through some tough and heartbreaking years.

When I had finished the anthology I sent it to her for her approval. I was really nervous and hoped she would like it. She contacted me to say she loved it. I was both elated and relieved.

Such a beautiful and inspirational lady, I am so glad we had a connection and I got to meet you. You will always be remembered, loved, and an inspiration to us all.

 

Philomena

 

She stepped into the world

in an ill-fitting skin,

and fashioned a coat of shame,

woven with silks gossamer thin,

dip dyed with hues of blame.

 

Buttoned up with mismatched memories,

with her pockets full of dreams,

hemmed in, hemmed up, Portofino cuff,

stitched up by a seamstress’s seam.

One day she said, enough is enough!

 

and slipped off that coat infame,

she had grown right in to the ill-fitting skin,

so she crafted herself an new name.

Finally freed from her widow’s weeds,

she called to the Dakinis within.

 

The moon and the sun in a syzygy dance,

to the tune of the neap tide seas,

coronate crown of abalone shell,

with a cloak of Etesian breeze,

she plucked the lightning out of the skies,

 

and collected her juvenile tears,

forging an armour from Hadesian hell,

annealed in Elysian fields,

protector of Phthinoporon souls.

She learned to wear her life well.

 

Philomena by Alexandra Carr-Malcolm

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The Sheds

01 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by Worldly Winds in Poetry

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Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poet, cotton, poetry, Spinning a Yarn Weaving a Poem, The Sheds, weaving, weaving sheds, Worldly Winds poetry

This was filmed at Cromford Mills, Derbyshire. Here I am reading one of my poems from the collaborative anthology, ‘Spinnning a Yarn Weaving a Poem’. This was part of a Sheffield Community Heritage project focusing on cotton and the cotton industry.

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The Sheds

I was six when I was taken,

gripping tightly, my father’s hand;

the stifling dusty air clung,

monster machines clanged and protested,

a full-on battle between Metal Giants

and the cotton industry age.

 

Mop-capped and gowned in gingham,

women gesticulated a pidgin patois,

a sign of the times,

amidst the deafening din,

looming in the sheds,

weaving profits for capitalists.

 

By Alexandra Carr-Malcolm

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Guess the Link?

03 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by Worldly Winds in Poetry, Publications

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Alexandra Carr-Malcolm Parris, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poet, Parris, Philip Lynott, poetry, Worldly Winds poetry

Can you guess the link?

Copies available directly from me, or also available from Amazon.

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amazon.co.uk

amazoncom

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New Anthology – Parris

31 Saturday Mar 2018

Posted by Worldly Winds in Poetry, Publications

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Alexandra Carr-Malcolm Parris, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poet, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poetry, Parris, Phil Lynott, Philip Lynott, Philo, poetry, Worldly Winds poetry

Hello!

I hope you are all having a lovely Easter break. My latest anthology – Parris is available either directly from me, or via Amazon. (The link is below.)

This anthology contains poetry about love, loss, and longing. The title Parris comes from Philip Parris Lynott, poet, songwriter, musician, and front man of Thin Lizzy. His writing, music and life story inspired me from being a teenager. There are references to his songs and life, blended with a good dollop of mythology!

Please feel free to contact me or leave a message below if you would like a copy.

20180331_165414-1.jpg

amazon.co.uk

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Alexandra David-Néel

23 Monday Oct 2017

Posted by Worldly Winds in Buddhism, Poetry

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Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poet, Alexandra David Neel, Buddhism, Buddhist women, Elise Wortley, explorers, female explorers, poetry, Silver Birch Press, Woman with altitude

Alexandra

A little time back, Elise contacted me and asked if she could post my poem on her blog – naturally I was delighted! Elise is an explorer who is hoping to recreate the journeys taken by Alexandra David-Néel. You can read all about it on Elise’s blog (the link is below).

https://www.womanwithaltitude.com/single-post/A-Poem-about-Alexandra

I first came across Alexandra many years back when browsing the shelves of the Buddhist Centre bookshop. I was taken with her fascinating life and decided to read about this remarkable person.

There were similarities that struck me, and since reading the book I have felt an affinity towards this unique Buddhist. Alexandra seemed to be a woman beyond her time. She was a socialite and a famous opera singer, who became an explorer in the pursuit of learning about Buddhism. She managed to gain entry into countries where outsiders were not permitted, let alone women. She disguised herself in order to gain access to Tibet.

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I originally wrote this poem for a series run by Silver Birch Press called ‘Same Name’.

You can see the original posting by clicking on the link below.

https://silverbirchpress.wordpress.com/2016/02/01/alexandra-david-neel-poem-by-alexandra-carr-malcolm-same-name-poetry-and-prose-series/

Many thanks to Silver Birch Press for publishing my original poem, and thank you to Elise for also featuring it on her blog Woman with Altitude.

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Tipping Sheep (The Right Way)

22 Sunday Oct 2017

Posted by Worldly Winds in Children's poetry, Poetry

≈ 6 Comments

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Alex Carr-Malcolm Tipping Sheep (the right way), Alexandra Carr-Malcolm, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poet, poetry, sheep, Sheffield poet, Tipping Sheep (the right way), upside down sheep, Worldly Winds poetry

I’ve not shared this one in a while – A poem inspired by my son whilst he was on his Duke of Edinburgh Expedition many years ago!

Copies of the book are still available from me – £5 plus postage. Please email me if you would like a copy.

worldlywinds@mail.com

product_thumbnail

With face of delight,

my son runs to me –

I’ve tipped up a sheep,

he shouted with glee.

 

My face drops with horror.

Well how could this be?

Am I the worst mother,

has he learned nothing from me?

 

“Calm down Mother!”

my son reassures.

“It’s not as you think,”

with derision he snorts.

 

“We walked in a field,

(in the group we were five,)

saw a sheep on its back,

with legs waving at sky.

 

It soon came apparent,

from what we could see,

that the sheep was so stuck,

‘twas a strange sight to see.

 

We tried hard to lift her,

but to no avail,

she was fat, wet, and smelly,

the weight of a whale.

 

Then out of the blue,

an idea did occur,

we spread out our groundsheet,

to roll her on there.

 

With one mighty tug,

we pulled the sheet up,

and the sheep it did tip,

(the right way up!)

 

So, off with a wobble,

and a, ‘baa,’ of delight,

the sheep she then trotted –

it was quite a sight!

 

So you see Mum, it’s true,

the things I did say,

we tipped up a sheep.”

(Thankfully – the right way!)

 

 

©Tipping Sheep (the right way) 2012

By Alexandra Carr-Malcolm

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St Helena

29 Saturday Apr 2017

Posted by Worldly Winds in NaPoWriMo17, Poetry

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Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poet, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poetry, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm St Helena, poetry, School days, St Helena, St Helena Chesterfield, St Helena Girls school, Worldly Winds poetry

A plea to St Helena – tomorrow you will see her reply!

St Helena 

Feast Day – August 18th

Born – 248, Drepanum, Bithynia, Asia Minor

Died – 328, Constantinople, Roman

Shrine location – St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome Italy

Patron of – Archaeologists  converts, difficult marriages, divorced people, empresses, Helena, the capital of Montana

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St Helena

 

Sisters stepped into a world

of red brick education,

grammar girls all Brodie primed,

watched over by St Helena.

 

You guarded us along the path

of teenage angst and dangers,

we sang your hymns of Pioneers,

of heroines and strangers.

 

Abiding by your arcane rules,

your holy cross you carried,

yet did you think of us as fools,

when one by one we married?

 

Did you laugh at our ideals

of romance and forever?

or were you ‘my dear’ forever near,

was it you who left the feathers?

 

One by one we fell apart,

as men they slowly went,

one by one each broken heart,

we had to learn to mend.

 

St Helena you did not say,

that life would be this tough,

I never thought I’d see the day,

when I’d scream enough’s enough!

 

Oh if I could turn back Father Time

and do it all again,

I would not moan, or whinge, or whine,

I’d love a million men!

 

St Helena by Alexandra Carr-Malcolm

18.02.17

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Absentia

28 Friday Apr 2017

Posted by Worldly Winds in Childhood Memories, NaPoWriMo17, Poetry

≈ 8 Comments

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Absentia, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm Absentia, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poet, Alexandra Carr-Malcolm poetry, education, NaPoWriMo17, poetry, sexism, Worldly Winds poetry

IMG_2530 (3)

It took two bus rides to get to Matlock.

 

Panda eyed from stress and tears,

sofa surfing for days on end,

dirty, tacky, no baths,

just a lick and a spit at a strange sink.

 

Sat in a faceless office,

corporate men in their three piece suits,

reeking of gout, and blue with smoke,

lascivious, avuncular, pat on the hand.

 

You are sitting on a goldmine, one smirks.

Find yourself a rich sugar daddy.

Janis Joplin sings Summertime in my head,

as the fluorescent tubes buzz in harmony.

 

Parents in absentia,

humiliation and fear sting,

all this to get an education,

no give and take – no grant.

 

Decades on – I got my education,

 

With two kids in tow,

all off my own back, not needing

honey traps or gold spider’s webs,

I look back – I want to say –

 

I pity your wives and daughters!

Did you make them turn tricks,

to pay their way?

Or did you prey on school girls

to make your day?

 

Absentia by Alexandra Carr-Malcolm

2016

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