February sun

The downside of working from home 
Is that I am fully aware of the beauty of this pre-spring day. 
The birds are going mad, the sun is shining 
It’s no use telling myself, that I can go out, 
once my flexible working is sorted. 
It’ll probably rain then. 
It’s now I want to be out, on this 
Crazily sunny February day.

LM Collis Feb 2019

Welsh for love

Eating a Welsh cake Brian’s tucked
Into my work bag, is taking strength
From the love he’s sent with me.


15 Aug 2018

Art for art's sake

I always thought these
fierce, sudden bursts of creativity
were due to steroids
But this time I'm off for a cracked rib
and joy! I've started ink sketching.
This creativity is MINE, not drug-induced
And I'm as proud of it as when,
45 years ago, I passed the art O level
they'd wanted me to give up. HA!

Easter 2018

We measure her words in teaspoons, 
Sometimes as little as a whispered “no thanks”
Or nothing at all, for my entire visit.
Today she woke, smiled brilliantly, 
Said “I love you” and,
“I’ll have a lie down, now”, 
And went back to sleep.
An Easter blessing indeed.

LMC 2018

Rene

For telling Brian that they eat
The pudding first in Australia,
For your grace and smiles,
Today my heart's been full of you.

At 95, your stubborn spirit that
Kept you going now seems failing,
A minor triumph that Brian
Managed to feed you a little water.

Snapshots, getting locked in that bathroom
In Bellagio. Our wedding and silver anniversary,
In Lyon, laughing with my Mum,
The Wales-Australia World Cup game

So many stories, a lifetime before 
and since you became my mother-in-law
So hard to see for (the always rather 
grandly named) Irene Evelyn Mary Williams

LMC 8 Nov 2017

New day

You've done this before
On much more serious levels
Play Feeling good till you believe it
Pick yourself up, focus forward
Feel that backbone hold you up
There's nothing stronger, nothing.


If Dr Collis were so damn attractive
you'd have kept it up
through all the fractured times.
Hold onto to those badges
around your neck.
They do mean something


Think of all your creative play
Your ever patient husband
Of even a tidy house for heavens sake.
You have a brilliant job
With lots of good research
Don't sell your life short for this





LMC 06.09017

Doctoral dreams

My dreams have been exceeding my reach again.
Temptations of academic glory
of fixing the world
Outshining the glint of falling blade

Wise calculations gently suggest
I should not strain so hard towards the finish,
Should risk assess my stamina and damp
my endless faith that I can just work more.

If Felix weren't retiring,
If another good supervisor would consider
This superannuated prima gravida
If I could continue at a steady pace, would I? Could I?

Why did you wake me up again?
I was happy thinking my thesis had died a natural death
But now it resists this new abandonment, out on the hill
And cries, what if? What if?



LMC 06.09.2017