For Francis

A couple of days ago, as I was thinking about a close friend whose father is living out his final few days, a quote appeared in my inbox in an email from gratefulness.org, attributed to the Buddha. I’m wary of fake quotes and I don’t know if the Buddha actually said those words. But I like them. I wrote those …

Ain’t no algorithm

This poem is a follow-up/sequel to one I wrote before Freya was born called “Slack parenting”. I’ll share that on here some time after #NaPoWriMo is over 🙂 — Before I was a dad I didn’t know what fun I’d have trying to figure out what baby’s sounds are all about when she coos, when she cries when she wails …

Master eater

For a nine-month-old, my daughter is an incredible eater. We don’t mash up her food; she just eats whatever we eat. She doesn’t like to be fed and much prefers to feed herself. It takes some concentration but her fingers are able to pick up just about anything, however small – and get some of it into her mouth. It’s …

The hardest part about being a dad

There are lots of hard parts about being a dad, but this has got to be the hardest…. If you agree, please say something! I’m sure it’s not just me??! — It’s not when she shits all over me and as I clean up she decides to pee No, that’s not the hardest part about being a dad It’s not …

What it really means to be a step-dad

A big shout-out to all the step-dads out there! In a way it’s a huge blessing to get readymade kids without having to change all the diapers… and it can be quite a challenge, too! I’m lucky that I have so much love and we get along well. This poem is clearly a dramatisation – I don’t make dinner very often. …

Keep/stop sleeping

This poem is about that feeling when you’re lying in bed looking at a sleeping baby and she’s just so cute that you want to wake her up, but you know you shouldn’t, but you really really want to….kind of hard to explain if you haven’t felt it yourself 😝 I started writing this poem when Freya was less than …

My toe is bigger

Day 8 of 30 of writing a poem a day for National Poetry Writing Month. #NaPoWriMo — my toe      is bigger than your foot my foot      is bigger than your leg my finger      is bigger than your forearm my pinky fingernail      is bigger than your big toe my hand      is bigger than your cute little bottom my tongue      is bigger …

Fascinating

Another poem inspired by watching my baby. Day 7 of 30 of writing a poem a day for National Poetry Writing Month. #NaPoWriMo — everything is fascinating to you you don’t care if it’s old or if it’s new it’s something to touch, something to chew everything is fascinating to you I love how everything’s fascinating to you but your …