Dormouse is having a Valentine's lie in. Here are some Sweet Words from writer Andrew Oldham to go with your morning cuppa.

Photo credit: sideshowmom from morguefile.com


THE GROTTO

They say the roof is made of crystals;
The kind that glimmer when candles are brought in,
But they must be brought in on a summer's evening
When the grass pollen is high,
and the flowers are turning to seed.
I think of the lovers that came here
Clutching jam jars with lights in
Watching the shine in each others eyes in the flickering light
But eighty years on and the grotto is waiting to be restored
The walls have turned to moss and mould and
Instead of lovers turning to each other with flames
You turn to me and say it looks like a witches coven,
We laugh and for a moment we shine.


Reproduced with kind permission from Ghosts of a Low Moon by Andrew Oldham (Published by Lapwing) RRP £10. Signed copies can be purchased here.

Andrew Oldham is an award winning writer and poet. His work has featured in The Sunday Times, Ambit, The London Magazine, Interpreter's House, North American Review and Poetry Salzburg. His poetry has been broadcast on BBC 4's Poetry Please. He lectures on creative writing at EHU and the OU. He lives in Saddleworth where he curses rain and climbs trees to face North winds.

LOVE February Competition - Fourteen days of fabulous prizes!

Tell the team at Dormouse and The Teapot where the most romantic location is. Post your answer in the comments section by clicking on comments below, make sure you leave a contact email or twitter name otherwise if you win we won't be able to send you your prize!

Today's lucky winner will win a signed copy of Andrew Oldham's Ghosts of a Low Moon from Lapwing Poetry.

This competition is now closed.