1 Poem by Sarah Lipton

WASTELAND

Skyscrapers pierce the sullen sky,
Smoke from factories chokes the air
Settling on houses making their bricks black,
A weeping willow hangs with despair
Over a pond the color of coal,
There are no longer any birds to feed,
Instead rubbish floats on the pond,
And a dustbin lid lies by the road.

Cigarette butts blow from the pavement,
Drains stink of raw sewage,
A rat scampers from a split refuse bag
And scurries into the park which is dark
'Though it's only three in the afternoon,
But clouds like sacks of soot
Have killed the sun and brought gloom;
The only sounds are a dog's bark,
And a church bell clangs with doom.

The church is covered with graffiti,
Its windows are smeared with grime,
The church stands alone by the road
As shops nearby have closed;
The organ plays and people pine
Hymns that can't be recognized;
A tramp squats in the churchyard,
Injecting his arm,
While a boy urinates by the church gate,
And a woman crouches by one of the graves,
Tears streaming her sunken face.

Bionote

Sarah Lipton, BA Honours, LLCM, FRSA, was born in London, England. She has written poetry, short stories, a play, a children's book, song lyrics and film scripts.

Sarah has written three volumes of poetry: "The First Collection," "The Seasons, Nature And The Environment" and "Poems, Social, Satirical and Political." Her poetry has been published in numerous anthologies. In the 1990s, Sarah received an award from "The Poetry Society," England, for some of her poems. Also, she received commended and honours certificates for some of her poetry from "The Richmond Music Festival" in England. In 2005, Sarah's poem, "Stagnation," was shortlisted in "The National Poetry Anthology Competition." In 2010, Sarah's poem, "Wishful Thinking," was printed in "The Poems In The Waiting Room" pamphlet. These pamphlets are distributed to hundreds of doctors' surgeries in Britain. In October 2012, Sarah was The Featured Poet in "Bareback Lit Magazine."

Sarah has written three collections of short stories: "A Journey Into Fear And Fantasy," "Psychological Tales" and "Crossing Time." In the 1980s, Sarah's stories, "The Reincarnation" and "The Ordeal," were broadcast on "LBC Radio's" "Through The Night" programme. In September 2010 and March 2011, Sarah read a selection of her writing on "Resonance FM" and "Omega Radio." Sarah's stories, "Femme Fatale" and "The Sanctuary" were published in "Blood Moon Rising." 

"The First Collection" and "A Journey Into Fear And Fantasy" will be published in 2015. Sarah will be reading a selection of her writing at some literary festivals in 2015.