Wednesday 7 March 2012

White Goddess

Three times she came to visit me,
three times she looked into my eyes;
maiden, mother, ancient lady
singing pretty lullabies

and, on the fourth, in starlight dance,
she howls one wolf into the skies;
leaps astride another branch
and flies.

Sunday 4 March 2012

In the quiet coach,

 a fellow sporting golden earplugs
with spaghetti down to a black snug
box the size of this packet
of playing cards in my jacket pocket,
- kings, queens, reds, blacks; faces and backs –

suddenly starts to sing ‘Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!’
in a screechingly smiley voice like a
backing singer – until I catch his eye
and grimace, turn to write a poem’s
smiling, silent speech – and hum.