Breathing Samphire

The wind-cut is pure, north-easterly
scales blown into sky

At last, I've discarded your chain
a thoughtless smile, transition

The golden evening sun at Porthclais harbour
highlights a cottage rented for the summer

A chapter has started
no mistakes this time


~ ~ ~


Thin-Stalked, Light-Green Grass

We get a thin-stalked, light-green grass
that grows on new embankments
like alongside new or upgraded major roads
and it just looks wrong
They've put a chunk of it near the weir
and a hound is in there grinning
squat muscly, dog-todge watering

It's a cloudy day and patches of buttercups and daisies
on the broad lawn that edges the rose beds
remind me of blood stains from a running knife fight

On the next bench, I hear a voice
they strip your dreams like crows clean bones
but I sit
and I could say, before this, or I could say, after this
but I believe I have to say, this

I get home and see the sun coming out
perch on the front wall for a smoke
A lad goes past with his scratchy cell phone
wild thing, you make my heart sing
…yeah, shake it, shake it, wild thing


~ ~ ~