poetry pf header

 

 
home>poets>Deborah Tyler-Bennett

Deborah Tyler-Bennett     about Deborah      more poems

this poet is taking part in the poetry pRO project

events listing

 

home button poets button features button

links button shop button about ppf button email ppf button

 

 

Clark Gable in Mansfield, 9-10, King's England, ISBN 978-1-872438-85-6.

Winner, Hugh MacDiarmid Trophy,  2001, Scottish International Poetry Competition.

 

 

Kirk Alloway

 

             As if someone just left, carefully closing the gate’s

             buffed metal, sidling past

             Burns’ parents’ over-painted stone.

             They came from Kirk side, pausing where I stand now,

             leaving behind this chuntering, these lone

             flames, tonguing blanched yew bark,

             until yew trunk becomes a dark

             hunched woman, head bowed, bare

             fingers round jerked knees.

             Arching windows form spare

             angels, refusing casual tourists.

 

             This place won’t let me know

             its light-boned song,

             tune long

             echoing as travellers go.

 

             Pipe-player, etched on a low

             tablet, hints at rhythms

             heard by crow,

             magpie, and jackdaw,

             taking turns at being flock and minister.

             Lyrics swim an old grave’s sinister

             Memento-mori, running spores

             patterning like April snowflakes.

             Here, almost catch sleet’s rushing undercurrent.

             Then the silence of lids closed

             by familiar fingers,

             arched angels linger,

             dusk folds.

 

             Walk away, for then it starts, that song,

             like light snow dusting April streets,

             descending on late-parked cars,

             on shuttered shops and bars,

             with all but vagrant spirits sleeping.

 

Deborah Tyler-Bennett

 

last update:

Deborah Tyler-Bennett photo

e-mail Deborah

poetry favourites:
Charnwood Arts
 
Poetry Magazines
Poetry Landmark
Gillian Spraggs
 
The Poetry Kit
Gerald England
Poetry Scotland
Terrible Work
King's England Press 

and in the shop ...
collection -
"Clark Gable in Mansfield",
King's England

anthology -
"Take Five",
Shoestring Press


© of all poems featured on this site remains with the poet
site feedback welcome