Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Poetry Library Southbank Centre - The Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre

« Previous item
Contents of this issue
Next item »

Patricia Karlin-Hayter

print this page

Easter Saturday

Spring under
The skin of the undulating landscape
Swelling the gravid hills.
Women big with child
Trees big with flower.

Electric pylons brace the pastoral scene.

And as night falls
Lifting slow successive hooves
Home-going after days ploughing -
His sad enormous quarters
Droop from heaven,
Rear above
The mirage stream of cars -
A shire horse dams
The furious river.
Waves brake screaming
To nose their hindered way past.

Lug down the dead guts of the Son of God. Stop
The lurching roll of the head
Close the mouth
Close for God’s sake the eyes.
What can take this sight away from my eyes?

Adults and children, occupants of houses
That squat on edges
Of busy highways
May not cross the road.

Gather the jagged lines, resolve the pain,
Restore
The fractured light.

Grant to pride also its coloured bid
Peace and a noble station
Outside the limelight.

 

Page(s) 115

Back to top