In golden rays
December, 2025
from sun above
Poems by Bowes Spark Writers
Sonnet for Jasper
In spring we see the yellow daffodils
The park awakes from winter’s long, cold sleep
Blossom decorates the trees with frills
And life appears above the earth, so deep.
My boy, in golden rays from sun above,
His brown hair blowing softly in the breeze,
His soulful eyes look into mine with love,
Between us, spirits light, and full of ease.
With tenderness I summon him to sit,
And tell him that he is a handsome boy,
Then show him that I hold a treasure, fit
To fill his very heart and soul with joy.
In hot pursuit as treasured globe flies south,
Then back, ears flapping, ball secure in mouth.
by Clare Cardy
Translated into Chinese by Polly Ho
給賈斯珀的十四行詩
春日裡我們看到黃色的水仙花
公園從冬日漫長而寒冷的沉睡中蘇醒
綻放的花朵裝飾著樹木的花邊
生命顯現在泥土上, 埋藏得那麼深。
我的男孩，沐浴在金色的陽光下，
棕色的毛髮在微風下輕輕飄動，
深情的眼睛凝視著我充滿愛意，
在我們之間，靈魂輕盈，平靜自在。
我溫柔地喚他坐下，
及告訴他他是一個漂亮的男孩，
向他展示我一件珍藏的寶物，很稱身，
足以讓他的身心充滿了喜悅。
他熱烈地追求，當寶貴的球向南飛去，
然後又飛回來，他耳朵拍打著，球穩穩地叼在嘴里。
Clare Cardy is a recently retired clinical psychologist, now exploring her creative side through poetry. She is a member of a writing group, run by Allen Ashby. She lives in London with her husband, daughters and her cockerpoo, Jasper.
The Trawlerman's Scrap
I can't see her, she's gone, vanished at sea,
her sleek grey form an enigma to me.
One minute here and next the wave,
a wall of sealife and her so brave,
without a thought, just a flick of her tail,
she raced towards the unholy grail.
The trawler's net scraping the sea bed,
all that misery, the screams filling her head.
She tried to free them, to beat those above,
the boat lifting its bounty, in the absence of love,
no thought or feelings for those that are caught,
those that are terrified, panicked, distraught.
They care only about one single fish,
a delicacy, they say, of a modern new dish.
The rest of the haul forgotten on deck,
kept from the sea while the men take a sec.
They gut the fresh fish and put it on ice,
a chop and a scrape and a long careful slice.
The bounty is safe and the men now act,
the suffering sealife they discard and toss back.
But out of the water they've been for too long,
the time in the net was their final swan song.
They notice my friend, a moment they pause,
A dolphin, dead, it's been through the wars,
scars on its body, no air in its lungs,
what do we do, the crew speak in tongues.
Toss her aside, just like the rest,
a voice calls out from behind a great chest.
He walks to my friend and kicks her once more,
It don't feel right sir, are you really sure?
A young man quivers as he lifts her up high,
a nod of his head as a final goodbye.
Hundreds of bodies return to the sea,
and my friend floats lifelessly down towards me.
by Sarah Stickland
Translated into Chinese by Florence Ng
拖網漁夫的殘片
我看不到她了，她走了，消失於大海，
她光滑的灰色身影如霧靄。
前一刻還在，下一刻已沒入浪花，
在整個海洋生命的高牆下，她是勇敢非凡，
毫不猶豫，尾巴一擺，
奔向不神聖的聖杯。
拖網刮傷海床，
巨大的痛苦和此起彼落的尖叫聲在她腦海迴盪。
她嘗試釋放他們，擊退上方的哄搶，
漁船卻在愛的缺席中舉起它的厚賞，
對那些被撈獲，驚懼和心煩意亂的眾生
麻木不仁。
他們只關心一條魚，
他們說，那是一味現代新佳餚。
其餘的贓物在甲板上被遺忘，
與大海分離，而男人們卻不慌不忙，
把鮮魚破肚開膛，以冰為墊，
切一刀，刮一刮，然後小心翼翼地切成長片。
厚賞跑不掉，男人們行動了，
受苦的海洋眾生被棄如敝屣。
但他們脫水太久了，
網裡的時光是他們的絕唱。
他們留意到我的朋友，停下了作業，
一條海豚，死了，牠奮力抗戰，
身上傷痕纍纍，肺部再沒有空氣，
我們該怎麼辦，船員以方言交談。
跟其他一樣丟一旁吧，
一把聲音從巨大的箱子後面傳來。
他走到我朋友身邊踢了她一下，
這不太好吧，你肯定嗎？
年輕男子一邊顫抖一邊把她舉起，
他點頭作最後的告別。
數以百計的屍體回到大海，
我的朋友毫無生命跡象地向我漂來。
Sarah Stickland, based in North London, UK, is a keen amateur writer. She has been developing stories, worlds and narratives for many years for pleasure. She lives with not one, not two, but three cats - siblings Freddie and Freda, and mum Coco. Sarah works in global health, which encompasses human and animal health, as well as the health of the planet; all of which she is very passionate about.
A Whole New Life
Sat at the opposite table, dining,
Wish I could join in.
Wonder what they'd think of my company,
What they'd say to me,
What does their food smell and taste like?
Is it more interesting than my own food?
Wish I could feed myself.
What are they laughing about?
Would I get their humour?
Would I be happy being with them?
Would life be better in their company?
Would it be worth it?
They soon get up and leave,
I'm all alone.
How I wish I could go with them,
Experience that freedom,
Not be living in water all day long,
Swimming to the glass wall
And back again.
by Ejder Raif
Translated into Chinese by Polly Ho
全新的生活
坐在飯桌的對面，用餐，
我多希望能加入他們。
想知道他們會怎麽看待我的陪伴，
他們會對我說些甚麼，
他們的食物聞起來和嚐起來是怎麼樣呢？
比我的食物更有趣嗎？
我多希望可以自己進食。
他們在笑甚麼？
我能理解他們的幽默嗎？
和他們在一起我會快樂嗎？
有他們的陪伴生活是否更美好？
值得嗎？
他們很快便起身離開，
剩下我孤單一個。
我多希望可以與他們一起，
體驗那份自由，
而不是整天活在水裡，
游向玻璃牆，
又再游回來。
Ejder Raif lives in London and is employed as a Support Worker. He enjoys reading, especially crime, thrillers, and mysteries. He has been published a number of times in the past, such as in Issue 2 of Boscombe Revolution.
Quite the Altruist
I keep a pint glass handy
although I never drink pints.
A necessary vessel.
What bright spark dubbed
this crawling monstrosity
the “common house spider”?
Sure, they’re common enough
around the bathroom plumbing
that evokes ancestral memories of forest roots
but houses are built and designed
by humans for humans.
I’ve got my walls up
but still she gets in.
I deal humanely with this trespasser,
releasing her into the suburban street
next to a kerbside tree.
Live and let live –
I seem to be quite the altruist.
Or maybe it’s that they make one
hell of a mess
when squashed.
by Allen Ashley
Translated into Chinese by Florence Ng
也算是利他主義者
我隨時預備好一個啤酒杯，
雖然我從不喝啤酒。
一個必要的容器。
究竟是哪個聰明人
給這爬行怪物取名
叫「普通家蜘蛛」？
確實，她們普通不過，
在浴室水管出沒，
令人想起遠祖時代的樹根，
但是房子是為了人類
建造和設計的。
我築起了圍牆，
但她還是進來了。
我人道地處理這個入侵者，
把她放生到郊區
行道樹邊。
留一條活路──
我似乎是個利他主義者。
或許是她們被壓扁時
會弄得
一團糟。
About “Bowes Spark Writers”, north London, UK
Allen Ashley has been a professional creative writing tutor for over 13 years. Bowes Spark is a group that he set up in 2024 with the aim of attracting writers who are only available in the evenings. This is an in-person group that meets in a room in a community owned bar/restaurant every couple of months. “Pause for Paws” was one of the first markets that Allen took to the group as a prompt for writing.
Allen can be contacted on: allenashley-writer (AT) hotmail.co.uk