Peter Donnelly

York, UK

Peter Donnelly lives in York and has degrees in English Literatureand Creative Writing from the University of Wales Lampeter. He has been published in the South Bank magazine, the Beach Hut and various anthologies. He is soon to be published in the Dreich magazine. 

Two poems   Seven Species   -    May the Seventeenth

This poem was written on 26 April 2020.

Seven Species

First there was Missy the mongrel

from the RSPCA,

at least 144 in cat years

when she passed away.

Then stray Kitty,

dark as a witch’s cat

with a kink in her tail

who brought in a rat.

Tiger the Tabbie

was chalk to black Lilly's cheese,

as different as Biscuit, Grandma's ginger tom

from Heathcliff, her Siamese.

Once white Willow goes

there'll be no more cats.

I'd have one myself

if I didn't live in a flat.

Date of  completion: 18 May 2020

May the Seventeenth

I found a new walk today.

The descent to Walmgate Stray

was like the wardrobe door into

Narnia, except it wasn’t winter.

Before I knew

it I had more than a view

of open countryside,

the suburbs no longer beside

me.  The cattle were as tame

as Aslan, they came

to be stroked. Seeing

Sutton Bank was like being

there and spotting York

Minster from the White Horse.