Stephen Horsfall
Craig Raine Sends A Postcard Home
Whippies are torches held by pygmy Olympians.
The white flame melts in the heat and drips.
99 of them are fuelled by a twig
which sits in the flame, but does not burn.
Ocean is a host of white-armoured phalanxes -
they attack, fall back, and then again attack.
The pygmies, unarmoured, bravely challenge each phalanx,
running forward to meet their fate.
They scream and retreat under Ocean’s attack,
but soon regroup and charge again.
Pier is a siege-engine against Ocean,
which attacks Pier, but makes no headway.
As Ocean’s phalanxes slowly retreat,
the pygmies hold aloft victory whippies -
but soon Ocean will advance again.
The war ends only with the summer.
(P.S. Weather is lovely,
wish you were here).
Page(s) 23
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