Poetry by Tom Alexander

                        Jaroslav A. Polák CC



HIGH TIDE, LOW LIFE  

You paint yourself blue, always blue 
This letter brings me down 
perched upon a rusty trailer 
paint peels over my shoulder 

I've been drinking  
since the boats were rested 
on the muddy estuary bed 

It's high tide, low life 
high tide, low life 

I won't stop my reaching out 
if there's any way to help, I'll find it 
you're so slow to take my hand 
scratching at your skin for answers 

I don't have any good advice 
I do what I can to just keep living right 
I'll listen if you’ll let me 
you know; my love is not the enemy 

It can't be this way forever 
it won't always be like this 

It's high tide, low life 
high tide, low life 

You say you only paint 
when you get blue 
and I suppose 
that's just the way 
the sea feels
You paint yourself blue 
always blue 
I guess 
that's just the way 
the sea feels... ​

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Tom Alexander lives in South Yorkshire. He has been writing poetry and short stories for 25  years. His work centres around the dynamics and experiences of human relationships as  well as observations on life and current affairs. His first collection of poetry 'One of These  Years: Selected Poems 2003-2019' is available to purchase online and much of his writing is  free to read at www.tomalexwrite.com

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