Nigel Forde

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this poet is taking part in the poetry pRO project

this poet is taking part in the poetry tREnD project

in collection A Map of the Territory, 2003, Carcanet/OxfordPoets

ISBN-10: 1 90303 969 X, ISBN-13: 978 1 903 03969 4

The Law of Diminishing Departures

I make tea from the water that you boiled

Before you left; use your special cup.

I choose this book because you read it last.

The fire I’ve kept in for days: these flames

Are still the ones you saw. The milk jug? Stet,

Because you left it there. I fool myself

With charms, connections, that should make you real

But punch your absence into every act.

I keep things too long; candles I won’t burn,

Logs, ditto, saved for feasts or rainy days;

The chances are tomorrow could be worse.

And now it is. I’ve kept you long enough.

I study to enjoy the chilly space

That closes round my hand instead of yours,

And walk on grass to watch the rising moon

Because you might be watching too. Because.

Nigel Forde

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poetry favourites:
Carcanet
George Szirtes
PN Review
Poetry School
Arnold Wesker

and in the shop ...
collection - "A Map of the Territory", Oxford/Carcanet