Ceinwen E. Cariad Haydon lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. She writes short stories and poetry. She has been widely published in web magazines and print anthologies. She was Highly Commended in the Blue Nib Chapbook Competition [Spring 2018], won the Hedgehog Press Poetry Competition ‘Songs to Learn and Sing’ [August 2018] and was shortlisted for the Neatly Folded Paper Pamphlet Competition, Hedgehog Press [October 2018]. In 2017 she graduated with an MA in Creative Writing from Newcastle University and she is now developing practice as a creative writing facilitator with hard to reach groups. She believes everyone’s voice counts.

Your Best Friend

Slobbery dog, but it’s yours
and I love you.
Love me, love my dog. You were upfront,
never played games. Except
with your dog, of course.

I don’t fancy slobbery dogs,
but I love you. Where in hell
does that leave me?

Do I have to play a game?
Pretence rules,
I’m in over my head

and your slobbery dog knows it.
He yaps with glee, drools
and makes a beeline for me.
He chaps at my ankles.
You laugh, say he’s only joking.

You miss his sadistic sneers,
never notice play bites
that draws blood.

Exhibition of Solipsisms

My surfeit of contradictions
will confound and confuse you.

If you look for consistency
I’ll convolute your expectations.
I’ll turn them inside out,
display what’s stored away.

Random items displayed
cheek by jowl
in the basement
of my dusty museum.
You’ll find they lack labels
connections to the me
you think you know,

or the me I think I am.