Kathryn Daszkiewicz
Walking to Schoonhoven
The methodical tick of a bicycle chain
warns my ears of what is behind, but I
concentrate on the road ahead - a goat or two
cropping grass beside high gabled houses;
a heron moving station with leisurely
flaps of his huge grey wings. Unhurried,
I take my cue from them. After all
there are hours to kill before evening
when I’ll sit, again, while you attend
another meeting. And your new wife finds
important things to do, as if to say
my husband - he invited you.
At Hoek van Holland, where I waited yesterday
for a train, the October poplars were scrawny.
In my window seat I could smell stale beer
from empty bottles in the bin nearby.
Today at the silverhuys I’m told silver’s not antique
until a century’s past. Till then it’s second-hand.
I hope that friendship’s merit is relative - takes
less time to appreciate. Somehow I doubt this.
On my way back, I look out for the tree
whose bare branches laden with ripe golden pears
can be seen clearly now the screen of leaves has dropped.
It’s like a picture on a Christmas card. Or a parable.
Tomorrow, en route to a prior engagement, you’ll drive me
to the station. After our polite goodbyes you’ll leave.
Too early for the boat-train, I’ll find a locker for my bags
and fumble with the unfamiliar small change.
Page(s) 37
magazine list
- Features
- zines
- 10th Muse
- 14
- Acumen
- Agenda
- Ambit
- Angel Exhaust
- ARTEMISpoetry
- Atlas
- Blithe Spirit
- Borderlines
- Brando's hat
- Brittle Star
- Candelabrum
- Cannon's Mouth, The
- Chroma
- Coffee House, The
- Dream Catcher
- Equinox
- Erbacce
- Fabric
- Fire
- Floating Bear, The
- French Literary Review, The
- Frogmore Papers, The
- Global Tapestry
- Grosseteste Review
- Homeless Diamonds
- Interpreter's House, The
- Iota
- Journal, The
- Lamport Court
- London Magazine, The
- Magma
- Matchbox
- Matter
- Modern Poetry in Translation
- Monkey Kettle
- Moodswing
- Neon Highway
- New Welsh Review
- North, The
- Oasis
- Obsessed with pipework
- Orbis
- Oxford Poetry
- Painted, spoken
- Paper, The
- Pen Pusher Magazine
- Poetry Cornwall
- Poetry London
- Poetry London (1951)
- Poetry Nation
- Poetry Review, The
- Poetry Salzburg Review
- Poetry Scotland
- Poetry Wales
- Private Tutor
- Purple Patch
- Quarto
- Rain Dog
- Reach Poetry
- Review, The
- Rialto, The
- Second Aeon
- Seventh Quarry, The
- Shearsman
- Smiths Knoll
- Smoke
- South
- Staple
- Strange Faeces
- Tabla Book of New Verse, The
- Thumbscrew
- Tolling Elves
- Ugly Tree, The
- Weyfarers
- Wolf, The
- Yellow Crane, The