I stumble on a root
as I pass the prettiest cottage,
the one that makes me look twice, anyway;
there's no one around
and then, suddenly, there are,
hordes of us, out for the sun.
as I pass the prettiest cottage,
the one that makes me look twice, anyway;
there's no one around
and then, suddenly, there are,
hordes of us, out for the sun.
I am cosy enough, bobble hat
and turtle neck, winter boots and long black hair -
well, I say black - I mean tiger
striped, the covid Bengal look,
plumped up by inertia,
endangered only by sleepy somnolence.
Past more roots and the London 50 sign,
ochre homes and ochre leaves,
leaves burning on the friendly wind,
banks of snowdrops,
blackbirds heralding
that long awaited thing.
I park myself by the berry tree,
damping my book on a mossy wall -
these are covid tricks,
for covid times,
when paths are lean, and
not a mask in sight.
The 'SHE' fell off the Shelford sign
at the Chinese take away -
a mark of this year's wear and tear;
the mayor and the spy
put up plaques of their own -
a mark of wealth and long roots sown.
The poet snails by,
tithing her time,
she was grown when she arrived,
and though loved, unseen, unknown,
she became that awaited thing
and SHE WROTE HERE will do.
© Shaista Tayabali, 2021
Photography by me, except for the blackbird in full throated song by Kathrin Swoboda.
Linked to Dverse Poets for Thursday poetry night ...
It is always a joy to read you, my friend. I love this and "The poet wrote here" is more than enough. It is all she wrote. Smiles. I love the description of all you saw as you walked past. You made me see it too. Beautiful photos, too. I share that covid inertia. Thank heaven for books and movies. Have you seen Penguin Bloom yet? Please watch it. True story, wonderful family and the most amazingly smart magpie. Your folks would love it too. So life-affirming with a wonderful ending.
ReplyDeleteI love this... to be outdoors and admire those wonderful signs of spring is something we can do, safely distancing ourselves from others in the company of birds.
ReplyDeleteThis is incredibly heart-stirring, Shaista!💝 I felt like I was right there observing the outdoors! Especially love; "The poet snails by, tithing her time,she was grown when she arrived, and though loved, unseen, unknown, she became that awaited thing." What a journey, this poem!!💝
ReplyDeleteA lovely poem and images, Shaista, the best encouragement for anyone to get out there and experience spring for themself. I love the picture you paint with the lines:
ReplyDelete‘leaves burning on the friendly wind,
banks of snowdrops,
blackbirds heralding
that long awaited thing’.