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Home Poetry

‘Little Girl’ and Other Poetry by Martin John King

June 22, 2018
in Poetry
A A
15

Little Girl

She’s fishing in a rock pool
just abandoned by the sea
She’s too engrossed within her world
to notice you and me.

She sprawls to draw a picture
open book upon the sand
Great masters never wielded
so delicate a hand.

Her rainbow spreads across the page
to seek a pot of gold
Our little girl within her world
thinks never to grow old.

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Yours

Thinking bye and bye, my dear
Of youths fresh beauty flawed,
And glories of past form, I fear
Times distance has ignored.

Then thinking bye and bye, my love
Life’s work and toil and chores,
Remind me how, as wings to dove
I’m yours, and yours, and yours.

 

Martin John King is a retiree living in Somerset, England.

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Comments 15

  1. Bruce Wren says:
    7 years ago

    Quite charming, both! A touch of Dickinson and Rossetti. Have you a collection?

    Reply
    • Martin King says:
      7 years ago

      Thank you Bruce. As a beginner (age 73) I had to look up the 2 poets you mention, high praise indeed.
      I do have a very small collection of work which will depend on Evan deeming them to be of merit to appear here.

      Reply
  2. Gregory Spicer says:
    7 years ago

    As well executed an eight and six as my eyes have ever beheld!

    Reply
    • Martin King says:
      7 years ago

      Wow! I am speechless, thank you very much.

      Reply
  3. David Watt says:
    7 years ago

    Martin, I really enjoyed your charming poems!

    My only suggestion would be a slight revision as shown below:

    Yours

    Thinking bye and bye, my dear
    Of Youth’s fresh beauty flawed,
    And glories of past form, I fear
    Time’s distance has ignored.

    Then thinking bye and bye, my love
    Life’s work and toil and chores,
    Remind me how, as wings to dove
    I’m yours, and yours, and yours.

    This would serve to make the plural possessives consistent.

    Reply
    • Martin King says:
      7 years ago

      Thank you David for your helpful comments. I did not think “youth’s” needed a capital, as I had in mind that period of physical appearance which sadly is too often only a memory in maturity.

      If I am wrong, I stand corrected and thank you again for your help.

      Reply
      • David Watt says:
        7 years ago

        Hello Martin, I was thinking of Youth’s as qualifying for a capital due to personification. I can see your point, given the context, that lower case is correct. I look forward to seeing more of your work.

        Reply
  4. Father Richard Libby says:
    7 years ago

    These poems are beautifully simple and simply beautiful!

    Reply
    • Martin King says:
      7 years ago

      Thank you so much. Your comment is a poem in itself.

      Reply
  5. Amy Foreman says:
    7 years ago

    A beginner, just now, at age 73:
    What a fine time to write for the great SCP!

    Welcome, Mr. King!

    Is it “bye and bye” or “by and by?” Dickens may have occasionally said, “by and bye,” so perhaps either is correct. But I think I’ve usually seen it as “by and by,” as in the hymn, “In the Sweet By and By.”

    Reply
    • Martin King says:
      7 years ago

      Hello Amy,
      I think that you are correct with “by” in a modern sense, although “bye” seemed to please my old fashioned brain at the time of writing.
      It is dedicated to my wonderful wife Margaret.
      Thank you for your help.

      Reply
  6. Dave Whippman says:
    7 years ago

    “Little Girl” skilfully evokes the intensity of childhood. It’s a pleasure to praise a piece by a fellow West Countryman!

    Reply
    • Martin King says:
      7 years ago

      Thank you Dave “yer tiz”.

      Reply
  7. C.B. Anderson says:
    7 years ago

    Very appealing lyrics, indeed, these two. You might have set the record for the age at which a poet started writing poems. I started at age 54, and I thought that was something.

    Reply
    • Martin King says:
      7 years ago

      Thank you very much C.B. I must confess that most were written 10 years ago and then I had Aortic valve replacement and after the op. my brain did not seem inspired to write more.
      However after finding SCPoets I have polished the old ones and am trying to think of new themes.

      Reply

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