Toys and books scattered Daddy-traps across the floor Pause (the menace sleeps)

Big Boat you are free! Sail onwards with your cargo What next, news cycle?

...is how the croup cough is described. All I know is that it certainly sounded alarming coming from my upset baby at 3:30 in the morning!

I seem to be into poetry writing at the moment. This morning I was up early, sitting in the rocking chair with a sleeping babe, drinking my coffee. I typed out four different haikus on my phone, all trying to capture this early spring morning in Cardiff as seen and heard through my window. It's apparently a favourite physical setting of mine for poetry writing, having also composed poems last August and another in February.

You look at me - Your eyes widen as you take in The beard – full and mature now (White hairs to be found)

Tired gritty eyes Parents greet the new morning Joyful baby smiles

I switch off the electric heater And the room is bathed in silence. Sitting quietly and still, The noises of cars and dog walking Flow up from outside

Words, where do you want to lead me? (Streaming out of my fingertips To this blog post) Words, where do you want to go?

The wind howled through the streets last night Shaking trees, throwing rain against windows and skylights Bullets of water hurled onto panes of glass in the darkness until suddenly Silence – the calm after the storm.

Through the open window comes the noise of traffic Doppler-shifted, there's less than there used to be Lazily reaching up from the street to my ears Then fading away like smoke Dissipating into the world