Congratulations to WWC member Heather Cook, who recently won a commendation in the Ware poetry competition for her poem ‘The Birthday’. Heather is also a Poetry Society member and her success was also mentioned on the Poetry Society website. Well done, Heather! Her poem has been published in the competition anthology.
THE BIRTHDAY
by Heather Cook
You sit, as if alone, by candlelight,
thin fingers worrying at twinkling rings,
the chatter all around a senseless noise,
the cutlery and glass forgotten things.
You smile enquiringly at all your guests,
soft shadows dancing on your puzzled face,
then tentatively raise a shining glass,
your every gesture one of perfect grace.
We sing the silly ‘Happy Birthday’ song
and clasp your sparrow bones as if to prove
the story’s end could be rewritten still
if we could just persuade you of our love.
The cake sits untouched on your party plate:
the one we loved has left. It’s all too late.
Woking Writers Circle 