I Was A Boy Of Blue Midnights By Christopher Hopkins

In my jaw-bone youth,

I’d watched the great stone drift from the blackened lush.

I could see how the night slid on it’s fault-lines

into day,

as I was a boy of blue midnights.

My late hours

were not wasted in life dreaming-absence.

My dreaming would run with a wolf heart in its mouth

and up the necks of the flowering vision,

as I was a boy of blue midnights,

in nights

of electric easy

on warm dimpling perfect skin,

scalding in our youth,

making our fortunes on the bodies of others

to tip toes farewells of early hours.

That walk in light,

that walk in golden light,

when only the morning moon knows my happy trail

and drivers in the passing cars

who reminisce on watching me,

on their youthful openings in single beds,

of their soft conquests of happiness.

On watching me,

remembering the windfall names

on the tips of wet tongues and teeth of beer,

those mornings

where the sun puts the colour back in their hair,

plucked white by the thieves of being,

how love’s short longings had long been fed to age’s fire,

the burning of hopeful touches,

and the last drops of the hourglass sands drop,

piling high on pillows

to be turned again on love, love, my love.

I was a boy of blue midnights and a man

in the threads of gold mornings.

About Christopher Hopkins:

Christopher Hopkins was born and raised in Neath, South Wales. He currently resides in the Canterbury area of Kent with his wife and daughter. 

His debut poetry chapbook ‘Take Your Journeys Home’ was published by Clare Songbirds Publishing House in November 2017 and has received a nomination for the IPPY book award for poetry and two of its poems ‘Sorrow on the Hill’ and ‘Smoke and Whiskey’ have also received nominations for the Pushcart Prize.

His second chapbook is due for release June 18, entitled ‘The Last Time We Saw Strangers’, again with New York base publisher Clare Songbirds.

Christopher has had poems published in The Morning Star, Tilde, Backlash Press, Riggwelter Press, The Paragon Journal, Ink Sweat & Tears, Indianapolis Review, Mojave River Review, The Blue Nib Magazine, Ibis Head Review, The Journal (formally the Contemporary Anglo – Scandinavian poetry), Rust & Moth, Harbinger Asylum, Scarlet Leaf Review, Anti-Heroin Chic, VerseWrights, Tuck Magazine, Dissident Voice magazine, Poetry Superhighway,  Duane's PoeTree, Outlaw Poetry. 

His spoken word poetry has also featured in a podcast of Golden Walkmen Magazine podcast, which also is to be included for their ‘Best of the Year’. Christopher also has had work feature in the MIND Anthology called 'Please Hear What I'm Not Saying' (February  2018). Christopher also has a YouTube channel dedicated to his poetry readings.