Last of the Wild Places

It is the last of the wild places,drifts at the windy corners,a low, far-reaching expanse. The night was so transparent:mud flats and tidal pools;clumps of bushes made black stains;of human inhabitants there are none. Two black Norway spruces,desolate, utterly lonelywhere the road fell away. Greys and blues and soft greens,fresh furrows in the track.Skies are […]

This gift of poetry

is as precious as the new year’s rainreplaced by silent prayers of frosttempering trees with a white crust it’s as welcome as a new dawnof impossible colours, deep skywashed to breath-taking lucidity it’s the joy of low winter sunlighting up a butter-yellow aconitestill clenched fist-tight it’s the trees’ chill breathof leaf mulch, pine and barkand […]

Nellie

She was the waft of lavendergrowing by the front door,a squirt of lily of the valley,and the breezy scent of washing day. She was a little cockney sparrergreeting everyone by their moniker,trilling songs from the good old daysas she polished and flicked dust away. She was the rumble of her shopping trolleyon the broken pavements, […]

Encounter with a Fox

After rain,worms wrigglefrom their burrows,only to drownin the lane’s deep furrowspuddled with waterand clottedwith mud. Further along,where the shadowsgather, I turn to look backat the sinkingof the rosy sun and see,surreptitiouslypadding,a dog fox. He lowershis rusty headand gulps a mouthfulof worms, an entréebefore he slinks away,ears pricked towardsthe nearest frog or mouse,rabbit hutch or hen […]