Hi, this is the poem that I wrote and submitted to to be considered for WRITE UP (Christmas edition). I was absolutely delighted when it actually got chosen, as you will see here when Amy asked me to say something about WRITE UP…

“Having attended the last ‘Write Up’ as a guest and finding it such a impactful and enriching experience, I’m super excited to be chosen as one of the writers to read at this poignant event.

I love how WRITE UP brings people together and highlights the importance of giving new and emerging writers a platform to share their words… and to be paid for their work!”

I’ve been a little protective over it since then. Probably because I honestly felt like it was the best poem I’d ever written! However, as time has passed, I’ve started to feel more able to share it.

Why THIS Poem?

I chose to submit this particular poem, as I believed it could potentially evoke strong feelings from the audience and a deep connection with the words and meaning behind them.

I also felt it was a great fit for a performance, as it is a piece that works best in the spoken word. (which is why I’ve included an audio recording of it too - Eeeeek!)

‘Doorway Domes’ was inspired by the thoughts I often have for those who have found themselves to be homeless, particularly around winter time. It invites the audience to consider the fine line between the safety of home and the vulnerability experienced on the streets.

If you’d like to read more about my experience at Christmas (complete with some lovely photos) you can head to my “Brief Write Up about WRITE UP” ☺️

Oh… and we had to choose a song to go with the poem (which I thought was such a lovely idea), but took me far longer than it probably should have done 🤦🏽‍♀️😆 but I finally settled on “Lonely” by Noah Cyrus.

There is a video of me reading the poem on the night of the event, but I can’t quite bring myself to share that here… it’s just too fucking embarrassing!! 🫣 So an audio recording will have to do.

🎧Audio Available

‘Doorway Domes’

Stay away from the corners, the ‘dawners’ and their piss
Moaners full of stories of who and how they miss

Staggering through the streets
Echoing last night’s beats

We all know the walk.. laced with shame, masked with talk
Of whom they met, how they danced, who got wet, when they glanced

In their direction, a selection, a possible connection
on reflection.. t’was just an erection!

Now, in the thick morning mist
Apparently still a bit pissed

We head for home whilst we moan,
Of sore feet that over-heat
As they pound on the pave that led to the rave

Through the tunnel echoing trouble, bursting our bubble
Of excitement and fun, now dusted and done.

Replaced with blame, shame and self-hate, as we berate
Passing doorways… sometimes, not always
Housing those with no home

A vulnerable dome, for the lost and alone.

The down-and-outs, brim-full of doubts
Once full of joy, just a small boy

Or a small girl, twisted and twirled
Into a place with no grace... no walls, yet no space

A vast vat of nothing, but swerving and tutting
From the all-mighty others and all-nighty clubbers

Staggering through the streets
Echoing last night’s beats

As they head for their homes
Pissing in the corners
Of the doorway domes.

Written by Eva Lydon - October 2025

Until Next Time,

A Poem for you today, prompted by the wonderful during one of her “Teas & Tales” sessions - which I thoroughly recommend by the way. You can find out about it HERE.

‘Red’

The colour of anger
Or is it of love?
Could it be both?

This red represents a feeling of…
What is it? Not dread

But more like a sadness, a feeling
Of unease and… badness

How my heart aches
With this pain I can’t shake

Red, almost black
Deep, like red velvet...

Cake... bitter not sweet
And poised to attack

This red velvet feeling
I’m holding right back

Thank you for reading! 🥰

A poem for you today, sparked by one of ’s recent SoulCircle Prompts: What would you like to release with the full moon this week?

My Response

‘No Moon’

No moon you say
No how, no way
No moon you say
No tides, no sway

Impossible
My brain can’t fathom
Where would we gaze
Make sense of our days

No moon you say
No glow over night
No moon you say
No shimmer, no light

No sense, no circles
No howls of delight
No moon you say
No how, no way

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P.s. I’ve totally copied the “Ways to Support My Writing” format from one of my favourite people on Substack - who writes the hilarious “Pandora’s Box of Shit” 💩 Sorry Sara, I hope you don’t mind?! I’m hoping you’ll see it as compliment… 🙈😬

A poem for you today… Inspired by a harrowing image I saw on the news, as they reported on the war in Gaza (March 2025) - An image and a sound that will be etched onto my brain forever! That night the extent of the devastation and suffering really hit me in a way I will NEVER forget! 😢

‘Emptied of Dreams’

That night it hit me, those harrowing screams
Of a girl so fragile and emptied of dreams

So desperate with hunger, she finds herself trapped
Bones crunch against metal, as she’s frantically ‘papped’

Crushed by pure desperation, of another war-torn nation
Generations left starving, amidst talks of halving

A land that’s not theirs to divide
Behind power and riches they hide

But who am I to have such opinions
Just one of life’s many ‘minions’

Trapped in a world led by felons and fascists
Recklessly pounding homes into ashes

How long do we wait, before we combat the hate

Who am I to talk of such horror,
As I sit belly full, tears resting on cheek?

Who am I and what can I do,
For a world that seems so terribly bleak?

How long do we wait for our fate, or is it already too late?

That night it hit me, those harrowing screams
Of a girl so fragile and emptied of dreams

Thank you for reading ❤️

I hope you like my little poem, which Substack decided to load up as a podcast episode… 🤷🏻‍♀️ Although this is not the start of my Podcast series, I will be launching one in the near future… more on that in the new year.

‘Betwixmas’

Ah, Betwixmas
What a wonderful mixmas
This great little era
‘tween Christmas and
New Yearer

The days stand still
Expectations are nil
The hush, so lush
Nothing a rush

A time for chocolate selections
And quiet reflections
For loafing with easing
Crackers and cheesing

Time for movies and walking
And plenty of talking
For guilt-free boozing
Reading and snoozing

The days have no name
And pass without shame
It is in factually
A time for.. Love.. Actually

Ah, Betwixmas
What a wonderful mixmas

So, for now, as we near the end of Betwixmas and prepare for New Year’s celebrations tomorrow… I will leave you in peace and whatever you’re up to, I hope you’ve managed to enjoy some good times this Christmas.

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For this piece I wanted to share a couple of my recent poems with you and explain a little of the background behind them, and what drove me to write them and why.

I was inspired to write by the wonderful who provided a one word prompt each day during her ‘Tiny Spring Poems’ challenge throughout April.

So, why share now? - Well, after a few weeks of hesitating and feeling doubtful as to whether I even have any talent in the poetry department, I was inspired to share my words by the lovely - who fearlessly shares her words so freely and openly here on Substack - I thought why not just go for it.

The first of my little poems came about when I was prompted to write about the ‘things’ in my life…

‘So Many Things’

Things can distress me if they’re too many
but life would be dull without any

Some bring much joy and some make us sigh
as we trip on them where they’re stacked up too high

Lego that has been randomly put
inflicts a surprising pain under-foot

Some are precious and have great meaning
It’s funny how a ‘thing’ can spark such feelings
yet on their own, they’re just objects of dreamings

Pieces of matter moulded into arrangements
created by humans to be of use or entertainment

Then there are things that were here way before us
trees, mountains, volcanos and thus

Things that exist purely, without perfection
Free from any human “correction”

Things that have existed for longer than we can imagine
Leaving us wondering – how did such beauty just happen?

These are the things that, to me, bring one feeling
of peace, tranquillity and healing

Ok, that was three, woops silly me
Let’s leave that there shall we?

I hope you liked my little poem - please do let me know by clicking the ❤️ below, it means such a lot to me.

Next is a fun little one that I quite liked - which was inspired by another of Beth Kempton’s prompts, which was simply “If”. I must have had a lot of anxiety and worries running through my head that day. Anyway, here it is…

‘What If’

What if… I just didn’t worry about x, y and z
I could be free from all the thoughts in my head

What if… they could flee like a speeding train
Be gone for good and free up my brain

Last but not least, is a poem I wrote when I was going through a particularly difficult time with a friend (a very good friend actually). I was feeling very let down by her and unfortunately, shortly after I wrote this, our friendship ended 😔

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that if you have a friend in your life who is actually not treating you well and/or takes you for granted, it is important to acknowledge and remember that you deserve good friends that appreciate you and treat you right.

If you have been friends with someone for a long time, but that friendship is costing you more pain and turmoil than it is worth. You CAN get out - just as you would end a relationship with a partner who wasn’t treating you right - you can end a friendship too. It is sad and seems harsh, but I have spent too many years building up my inner strength and self-worth just to have it stripped away bit by bit in a toxic, unhealthy friendship.

‘Layered’

Layered are the feelings I have for you
Layered are the emotions that come with them too

Pushing them down, making them small
Hiding them under layer upon layer

Deep in my core… “safe” but from who?
Such are these feelings I have for you

I remember when I wrote this I was feeling very hurt and angry, but also sad and disappointed about the potential loss of friendship - hence the layers. It could be a love or a hate poem, don’t you think?

Anyway, that’s it from me for now. I hope you’ve all been enjoying the beautiful weather that is finally here! 😎 We had a little time away in Cornwall recently, so I wanted to end today with a photo I took that I think really captured the beauty of where we were.

Bye for now and please remember to like and share 😊

Share The Feeling Of Life

Thankfully I currently don't feel this way, and I am happy to report that I haven’t for quite some time. However, I will never forget that dark, cloudy and hopeless place… a place you don’t really know how you got to, and certainly can’t see how to get out of.

A Brief History

Loneliness really is a complex feeling and you most certainly don’t need to be physically alone to feel it. At the time I wrote this, I was 8 months post lung surgery - to remove a rare cancerous growth called a carcinoid tumour - also known as a “slow motion cancer”.

I believe at the time I was experiencing some kind of imposter syndrome and truly believed with every fibre of my being, that it was a mistake that I was still here. Whilst I was surrounded by loved ones and much support and kindness, I remember feeling a crippling sense of guilt and anger that I get to live and others don’t. So lonely with my thoughts and feelings… how could I possibly share how I felt, how dare I be so ungrateful!

Since then, I have learnt not to be scared of such thoughts and feelings and know that, whilst painful when they’re there, they will go eventually and the fog will lift to reveal a lighter, happier time again.

The key is to allow all feelings and let them be… let them be, but know that they are temporary and just as we revel in the brighter, happier thoughts… we must also allow the uncomfortable feelings the time they need to just be. For, without the sadness, there can be no joy.

‘So Lonely’

Useless, worthless, not deserving
Round and round, my mind keeps whirring

The mess, the mess, why does it matter
If I leave it, I feel like I'll shatter

So angry, but why, what's it about
I want to scream so loud, get it all out

If I cry a river so deep it flows out to sea
Then maybe, finally, I can be free

But there's one little person, here all the time
So beautiful, I still can't believe she's mine

So happy, innocent and kind
How have I been so blind

Why can't I see, why is everything black
Feeling deprived, yet there’s nothing I lack

To be free, to be normal, to just “get along”
If only I could be that strong

But weak I am not, just stuck in a spiral
Dying to get out before it goes viral

If you are currently in this or a similar place, please know that you too will find your way out. Please ask for help if you need it and try to do the next right thing... One tiny step at a time.

Allow yourself to feel what you need to feel… and as sure as Spring will come again, there will be light in your life again… until then, be kind to yourself and just BE ❤️

This poem was inspired by my daughter talking about how you know when it really is summer. I feel so vulnerable when I share these with the world, still so unsure if anything I say is any good. But here it is, I’m being brave… 😳

Update: June 2026

I’ve since updated this poem and attached the original version at the bottom of the post, just in case anyone is interested in comparing them. I’m actually so proud of it now and have started to believe in the possibility that it could become a picture book perhaps. Eeek! 📚☺️

🎧 Listen Here

‘When The Wind Is Warm’

“It really feels like summer mum,
when the wind is warm

I love it when the wind is warm mum, I love it, I feel free
When the wind is warm, I can really be me

I can run from outside to in and inside to out
with no need for shoes or hanging about

When the wind is warm, there's no need to worry
But my ice-cream will melt in more of a hurry

When the wind is warm, the hours are endless
So much day, to play and never be friendless

I love it when the wind is warm mum
When time stands still and the days are care-free
Where I can be me, and we can be we

It’s the best, when the wind is warm mum
D’you know what I mean mum?”

The Original Poem

I can stay outside when I’m wet after swimming mum, when the wind is warm
It really feels like summer mum, when the wind is warm

I love it when the wind is warm mum, I love it, I feel free
When the wind is warm mum, I can really be me

I can run from inside to out and outside to in
With no need for shoes or anythin’

We can leave the doors open without worry
When the wind is warm mum, there’s no need to scurry
Although ice cream may melt in more of a hurry 🍦

I love the feeling of warm wind on my arms mum
A friendly caress where skin and air meet with no layers between

When the wind is warm Mum, the hours are endless
So much day, to run and play, and never be friendless

I love it when the wind is warm mum
When time stands still and the days are care-free
Where I can be free, and really be me

It’s the best, when the wind is warm mum
D’you know what I mean mum?

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Share The Feeling Of Life

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I wrote this poem in 2017, about a year after separating from my husband and feeling very alone with the parenting of our two young daughters.

Listen Here 🎧

‘My Reason’

As you lay there in your bed
Thoughts run through my head

Were they right, were they wrong, all the things that were said
Tucked up under your quilt… Uh oh, here comes the guilt

My little angel, my beauty
You're so much more than just my duty

You're my reason for being, for playing, for baking
You are in fact my reason for waking

No pay, no promotion
Just a huge dollop of emotion

But strong I must be and tall I must stand
When things haven't quite gone according to plan

It gets harder and harder to storm the weather
And it doesn't take long to reach the end of my tether!

Add in the whirlwind, the little 'tornado'
I find myself praying, please not the playdough!

It’s not the washing, the cooking, the cleaning
Of course this is endless
It’s the loneliness that is so relentless!

Somehow there's strength to just ‘keep going', ‘keep going'
Because the love in my heart is there still glowing

So, on I go day after day
Providing the love, the fun and the cuddles

The playing, the baking, the jumping in puddles
Doing my best, I hope and I pray

That they were right not wrong, all the things that were said
As I lie in my bed, thoughts run through my head…

Of the fun that we had, the love that was shared
There is nothing that can quite be compared…

To the memories we've made and things we've created
The games that we've played and the views we've debated

Now time to rest, to stop getting in a muddle
Before my reason for being wakes me up with a cuddle ❤