FIREWEED

Burnt at the edges
rosebay willowherb lets go
curls of cotton smoke

__sky is white
__gull is white

bruised lids
ocular light –
a blue moon

__the kitten’s well into
__the parka down

smell of ash
in an empty grate
embers awakening

__orange swing arcs over black
__ loop-the-loop

a charm of goldfinches
display to mate
marker pens on a grey board

__quarter to four again
__quarter to four again

ends of the fingers
where the tea
plies its trade

__easing a coin into the jukebox
__cheap music

saying the same thing
at the same time –
after that it was easy

__a piece of fruit
__a piece of bread

the boat turns
from the dark shore –
rising tide

__frost laces up the day –
__the chiffon of minutes

what the robin knows
only
the robin knows

__unfurling the red umbrella indoors –
__bad luck

on which side of the glass
is the light
at the window?

__uncut grass
__bows under the dew

ten million flowers
wait
curled in their bulbs.

a 19 verse renga in Autumn
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead
10 October , 2002 (National Poetry Day)

Participants

Linda France (master)
Alec Finlay (host)
Miles Thurlow
Lionel Joyce
Peter Mortimer
Tracey Tofield
Sophie Hughes
Aruna Bhaugeerutty
Joanna Bell
Sarah Donovan