My name is Valerie McKinley, I was born in Leicestershire in 1943. I began to write poetry to entertain my children but only began to write seriously around 1992. Since then I have managed to get my poetry published in various anthologies by Forward Press, La Fentre Magazine, Reach and the Dawn Treader. I was lucky enough to have a poem published in Bluechrome's 'The Review Of Contemporary Poets' which included a poem by ex Poet Lauriate Andrew Motion and have just won the Red Dress/Park Bench poetry competition on ABCtales.com The prize is having my poem, which is called 'Googling Earth' recorded by an Actor and broadcast on ABC Radio. My other great news is that I have managed at long last to get my book of prose and poetry published and it comes out officially on August 1st 2009. Which I shall be offering for sale here on my website shortly.
In the midst of conflict
with the world at War,
my father at sea,
destined to walk
his homeland no more.
I arrived,
breaking free
of the darkness
out into the light
leaving the warmth of the womb
for a cool spring night.
Not understanding then,
for how could I see,
the man
from whose loins I sprang
would be but a shadow,
a ghost to me.
©
copyright
VMM
2004