Lizzie Shirley - Singer and Songwriter

Lizzie Shirley singer and songwriter, music and singing leader, drama teacher and workshop leader, song arranger, actor, comedian and published poet.

Scotsman …’sings as sweetly as anyone in Edinburgh’

Time Out …’equally talented in both arts…a rare and ringing voice’.

5 Stars …’a blithe acoustic stance…utterly lovely’

South London Press : …’highly recommended’ …’a born performer’.

email: Lizzieshirley@hotmail.co.uk

telephone: 07877143548

Available for performances of a political/Socialist set of radical songs, (including Brecht, anti-nuclear, Leon Rosselson, etc) In a performance called 'Sing and Survive'. with accompanist on piano.

And for performances as singer/songwriter - including political and social comment songs, love songs, and quirky fun songs.

< poems

< home

I play catch up with the seasons

The playground is full when I play IT with Autumn

I chase autumn
But cannot catch
I stretch out my arm,
My fingertips
But autumn turns around and pulls a face at me
I stumble and stop
Panting Hands on knees
Bent staring at the ground
Resigned
I cannot reach autumn
It’s gone
I’m stuck in summer
I can’t catch up.

But autumn beckons me
Wanting to be a friend
But my yearning
Can’t comprehend
‘Come here’ signals autumn
But when I arrive
Autumn has gone
I never really left summer.

I sit and watch winter
Slowly in front of me
But I make no effort to catch up
I know what winter is up to
I know what winter is doing
I know it doesn’t mean it.
I know it’s not sincere
And doesn’t want me there
So I sit in autumn
I decide that I ignore winter
That’s what I do.

But when spring opens out in front of me
I cling to winter
I love winter
I can’t leave winter
I can never leave
Never never never never never never never never never never never nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Leave winter

Spring is an upstart
It doesn’t mean it
It’s not real
It doesn’t belong
I don’t belong
I’m unready
I haven’t finished
The sentence is not
I need more time
I need a white blouse
I need a scarf and a new book
I need a goodbye
A resolution
I need a perhaps
I don’t need spring
I need a pole to dance the limbo
I need an Irish coffee
To finish it all off
To wash it all down

‘Cos summer will arrive
Like cake
Like bunting
No bunting no! Down boy down!
Like ice cream like jelly
But I’m caught
The one cloud left pours rain on me
No don’t strangle me bunting !
No summer no no !
Don’t arrive summer will you ?

Please. Please don’t get here.
The kettles not on
I haven’t swept
Don’t come yet
I haven’t tidied up spring yet
I haven’t put it away
A spring clean
A hoover
On the bookcase
On the floor
On the shelf
I’m caught in a trap
Of spring cobwebs
Sorry summer
Can’t get free
Can’t untrap
Can’t unwrap
To meet you
So please
Please
Keep away summer
Please please please summer
Keep away.