Sheila Francis

Devon , UK

Hi! I was born 26 December 1966 in Northampton. I now live in Devon with my husband Nigel and our two cats! (Jessica & Fudge) I work as an artist, making and selling crafts. I'm a member of The International Fund for Animal Welfare and also the Michael Jackson fan club. I am very much inspired and moved by Michael's music particularly Earth song, Heal the World, and Man in the Mirror. My favourite poets include, Swinburne, Kipling and Emily Dickinson. I have always enjoyed writing poetry and hope that others will be able to relate to my work.


The Icerose

A pure white rose did come to bloom,
Upon the surface of the moon,
It flourished in the icy air,
Its beauty banished dark despaire,
Its name was innocence.

On earth a baby harp seal plays,
His mother close beside him stays,
Protectively beside him lays,
While he enjoys his newborn days,
Rolling over and over again,
On the perfect, pristine plane,
Ice crystals sparkle; diamond white,
Such brilliant beauty blinds the sight.

Beneath the icefloes, shadows dance,
Satin coated seals advance,
Through a piercing sunlight lance,
They captivate and entrance,
Through underwater caverns race,
With exquisite gliding grace,
Ice gems glisten changing hue;
Emerald green and sapphire blue.
The surface breaks, a head pops up,
Central to the icy cup,
The mother with her baby pup,
Rolls on her side for him to sup,
He feeds, then basks a little more,
Fluffy white fur; a sunshines store,
His wide expressive eyes reflect,
A world of wonder to inspect,

Cotton bud clouds, baby blue skys,
Suddenly a man with iceberg eyes,
Thud! A hakapik cracks his skull;
Another victim of the cull,
Trambling violently to cling to life,
His stomach torn open with a knife,
The vivid virgin white ... turns red,
In agony he screams till dead.

Words seem useless; silence worse,
All pleasure born of pain; perverse,
A carcass is slowly dragged away,
A rose did bloom... and die today,
Its name was innocence. ....

Dreams

Dreams are like abandoned ships.
Swept away to sea,
In you mine found their harbour;
Your faith has anchored me.

Many souls have paced these decks,
And left them raw and bare,
Yet only one returned to mend,
The damage he did there.


All poems Copyright © 1997 Sheila Francis. All rights reserved.