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

   I charge my brush      with water
and splash the page       the winter sun                                

discovering       a wren     in the back border                        

his train pulls in          to the strangeness
          of a once          familiar place                                     

fresh baked bread         on a table      set with silver         

– – – – – – – – – – – –

moonlight floods       a bed of leaves
     as drunkards       hunt the hedgehog

granddad     takes the children out     trick-or-treating

over and over        thru fireglow
  to the wind’s       whistling moan

within the mountain         men burn out        like candles

             a dog       chasing the priest’s cat
down the aisle        and out the back door

along this narrow pathway        prayer flags       meet sky

– – – – – – – – – – – –

butterflies       by their hundreds
thousands      deck the summer pasture

lavender perfume       rising     with the full moon

  a perfect circle        on the ceiling
from last night’s         champagne cork

drawing back the blinds        she sings      just like a girl

        the head teacher        averts his eyes
from two sixth-formers         kissing

the clairvoyant      describes       my scarlet aura

– – – – – – – – – – – –

after a few drinks       under the mirrorball
                 things       seem better

come the dawn       the snow      rolls back up into cloud

       draw him home        lilac blossom
while your fragrance       fills my garden

three fledglings     strut around       in the late spring warmth