“The Ice Cream Truck” + “School Window” + “Judicious Editing” by Mark Andrew Heathcote

The ice cream truck is approaching in the dark
my hearts beating, it’s a long time till summer
now is no time for interludes to the park
parents won’t buy making my melodrama.

A taste of vanilla on my lolling tongue
I cry remembering I’m no longer four
then I’m reminded by my mother’s own bawl
close your larynx or, you’ll be sure to get hung.

The ice cream truck and its whimsy music fade
and my mother’s turned into an ice maiden
but when spring summer arrives in a cascade
of falling rose blossom, she’s spoon laden.

With raspberry sauce; cheeks like rosy apples
she softens with the ice cream and cracks a smile
breaking wafers; sprinkles giggles then rattles
with laughter begins to behave infantile.

School Window

I go missing at school, when I’m
seated near any kind of window,
eyes-glaze-over like a frost flower
that grows melts in the blink of an eye.

I spy, Fireweed swaying in the breeze
that summer-clock tells the end of-
summer and the beginning of autumn,
but I envision an eternal spring.

Where everything, mislaid is found again
found, flowering on-arrival perpetual
I imagine Fireweed spikes swaying
that never gives up their flame.

When a teacher shouts, boy, turn around!
yes, I imagine frost flowers everlasting;
I imagine a birdsong uninterrupted
Arcadian-playgrounds ceaselessly green.

That’s where I go missing, when I’m
seated near any kind of school window
oh, I can’t wait for that school-bell.
Lord, knows I’ve been here too many years.

Judicious Editing

Editing sentences send us mad
I’ve torn twenty sheets of paper
with pen in hand from my notepad
each word nailed down faces failure.

I’ve had to tread carefully,
it’s a painstaking business
writing one line, arbitrarily
you, really have to be judicious.

Writing-anything in poetry
either that or slightly crazy
sharing so much emotionally
like you are just serving gravy.

It takes a lot of willpower
to create one decent stanza
or a couplet my Flower
that ends in nostalgia.

Mark Andrew Heathcote is adult learning difficulties support worker, his poetry has been published in many journals, magazines and anthologies, he resides in the UK, from Manchester, he is the author of “In Perpetuity” and “Back on Earth” two books of poems published by a CTU publishing group ~ Creative Talents Unleashed that can be found on Amazon.