After the holiday

This poem aims to capture the sense of being overwhelmed when returning to work after a vacation.

This is a free‐verse poem, reflecting both the modernity of the theme and the undisciplined sense of disorder. However, it is arranged in couplets that perhaps resemble waves running in across sand.

The use of the sustained metaphor of a tsunami‐like tide suggested the story of King John (of England) and the loss of his jewels. Imagining the horses and spears gave additional vigour to the language about the sea.

This poem aims to take a fresh angle on a universal experience.