My poems are always inspired by something, be that a song, plot or character, for instance, Taylor Swift's song 'Champagne Problems' inspired me to write 'The Ring'. Occasionally I'm spurred to write by abstract entities, such as stars, lights or butterflies; when I wrote 'The Moon', I was thinking of what one would say to a gleaming, welcoming rock in the sky that sparkles throughout people's dark periods.
'The Lighthouse', which is below, was based on a few things. It started with the symbol - a tower on an island surrounded by the sea. I was thinking about Tom Walker's song 'Leave a Light On', in which he references a lighthouse guiding someone who has mentally lost their way. I was thinking of George from Enid Blyton's The Famous Five and how lonely she must have felt in the period between meeting her cousins for the first time and not having Timmy with her. I was thinking of the few pages in Part 2 of Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse in which time seemingly flies by, Mrs Ramsey, Prue and Andrew pass away and the First World War occurs. And yet, the lighthouse remains.
To the left of the bay
There’s a boat you can row
To the lighthouse on the hill
Just go when the tide is slow
If you’ve been feeling sad lately
Just tell the towers glow
Tell the light what keeps you up at night
Whilst the sea ebbs and flows
Collect sea shells on the shore
Taste the salty sea
Hear your footsteps on the cobblestone
Let your injured spirit breathe
Build castles in the sand
And remember, if you walk home alone
The evening stars will guide you
And the lighthouse will welcome you home
Thank you for reading! I'll see you next week.
Best wishes,
Karisma
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