My poem 'Springtime' is on my word press blog.  This was written for a Writelink spring fever challenge competition.  It didn't get a mention, or get shortlisted, other than for the judge to say, 'Does anyone spring clean anymore?'  Hasn't she read 'Wind in the Willows' for goodness sake?  Of course we spring clean don't we?  Maybe not with so much vigour as in the poem...  Maureen said, 'it fair rattles along' so I'm glad she got the gist of it.  I printed it out and use it as a reminder that there's something needs doing. 

How the poem came about was, we were thinking of moving once. (Just the once)  An estate agent called in a smart long black woollen coat.  We had a big Belgian Shepherd dog at the time, who'd been shut out in the garden as he didn't take to callers.  After the snotty man had told me to get rid of clutter (cheek, I LOVE my nic nacs.) and told me to paint everywhere cream and pale brown like his house. Yuckkk.  I had pink walls and rainbow wallpaper at the time. Then he had a look at the bathroom which must be the smallest one in the world, he called it manageable. We had one chair under the window that was officially the dog's chair.  Before I could tell him this, the nice man sat on it.  I tried to finish the conversation where he was telling me to knock the back wall out, get rid of family photos, de-personalise, etc etc. without thinking of that black coat getting covered in dog hairs.  As he got up to leave, I said, "Oh, there's a bit of a hair on your sleeve" and tried brushing it off.  As he walked away, oh my lord, you've never seen such a sight.  He was plastered in dog hairs, but I hadn't got the heart to tell him.  So, I did a bit of magnola - ing, and as the poem said, put away photos, then as I walked round the house it just didn't feel right.

Although we live on the Roman Road, known as Watling Street, you don't notice the traffic that much, except the sirens of course;  everyone who calls takes  a look out of the front window and says, "What a view" - we look out onto a farmer's field, woodlands and hills with sheep on in the springtime.  I love it. 

Maureen who I mentioned earlier and Lorraine, are at Baskerville Hall soon.  They co-wrote ABC Writer's checklist, a book I refer to often.

Debz Hobbs Wyatt is the editor on creative cafe.  Both are brilliant editors, and if ever you need and editor, I would recommend both of these talented ladies.

To read my Springtime poem have a look on my blog here. www.susanjanejones.wordpress.com