introducing myself + poem as an offering

Hi

I've just joined the group, so here's a little intro + a recently published poem for reaction/critique/etc.

I'm a director of an English language school for foreign students (in UK). Married, with one daughter. Poetry pamphlets: Wasted Leaves, 1996; I Went With Her, 2007. I've had poems published in such magazines as Orbis, Iota, The Interpreter's House, Poetry Nottingham, Poetry Salzburg Review, Poetry Cornwall, and others. I have now written five novels. I would describe them as surreal novels exploring the nature of relationships, romantic and sexual, and Britain's class-system, with liberal use of comedy and satire, creating original and riveting settings full of humour, romance, sex and adventure (info on author profile, etc.).

TALISMAN

Brown plastic hair-clip,
resting on my clothes,
one drawer up from hers,
once more charms.

Amidst the fear things will end,
nothing stays fine
forever,
her serial carelessness,
of hand and eye,
after her shower,
on my folded clothes,
neat and tidy,
is a talisman all is well,
and may always be.

Look forward to hearing from you

Alan

Sorry it took me four years to read this poem!

I really like the line "nothing stays fine".

Powerful.

Thank you for sharing.