This is my final poem for NaPoWriMo 2020 and was written on the correct day (April 30th) although is a little late in being posted, due to working from home, having the ideas for a couple of short stories (one fairy tale and one sci-fi) and spending time with my family. The prompt for the 30th was “to write a poem about something that returns” – looking at the prompt again this morning, I find myself wondering why I didn’t write about a birthday or Christmas, but hopefully some people will identify with what I’ve written.

And so, for the last time this NaPoWriMo, I give you my humble offering:

Lost and Found

Years ago, I saw a well-known poster –

“If you love something, set it free –

if it is yours, it will come back to you;

if it doesn’t return, it was never yours in the first place.”

Odd how the things that always come back to us

are the things we could quite happily live without:

zits and cellulite and discarded boyfriends

pop up on a regular basis

without invitation.

I keep setting my spare tyre free –

and then it finds me tirelessly,

over and over again.

perhaps we never really ‘lose weight’ –

we just misplace it for a week or two,

until ice-cream and cookies helpfully

bring it back.