Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Matt Merritt: A poem

Song

For this morning I am resolved
to live more like a bird,
with my chest puffed out
as blazon of my great good fortune
or protection from the cold.

I will turn an eye to the open sky,
entrust my obvious blind spots
to the protection of instinct,
refuse to admit the existence
of anything but the present.

I will take flight only
in the face of the direst threat,
fling my song upon
the dull embers of dawn
to burn with just one story,

that reports of my demise
have been greatly exaggerated.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Jo Dixon: Two poems


Nature Reserve

Asphalt smoothway hastens hybrid cycles
   and monoscoped twitchers                                       
past a dry brood of wellies                                              
   feathered in mud-splashed memories

Jo Dixon


Spring

(After Barbara Hepworth)

Bronze egg hatched with twine
outweighs panting arms edging
her out; she tilts on the tail lift.                                             
Salt rivulets perspire
down her silken shell until -                                                     
flanked by armoured glass,
she exhibits in white space.

But when Spring is lacy
with sunlight leaves,
fingertips reach to meet round
her back, feet follow her curved
breath and in the criss-cross
veins of her yolk eyes conceive                                                
                                                                                               
amorous plume-stretches of teals,
the branchwork of foraging goldcrests,
and a marriage of grey herons spired
in their nest.

Jo Dixon

Welcome!

This blog will be a space for those who took part in the Hidden Nature walkshop at Attenborough Nature Reserve in February to post work inspired by the day. It would be good to see writers using each other's work to inspire and shape new writing - if you don't want yours used in this way, though, feel free to post a line after it asking others to lay off.

As we're hoping to run a similar event in the autumn, it'd be good to build a bit of momentum towards that. I'll be posting a couple of fine poems from Jo Dixon later today, and some of my own work later.
Matt Merritt