blue-tailed damselfly
moves back and forth in the air -
sultry afternoon.

Some days the wind blows
and bends yonder willow
  Its roots hold sway
  perched high upon
  steep sea cliff walls
No gale could affix
a bow to such a limber
heartwood backbone
  Wind arched echoes
  undulate to and fro
  alike a gentle restoration;
  a resilience unrenowned

It looks as if it takes
the skies weight so lightly,
while the rising waves
gather an unhallowed chill
fomenting untamed
at the heart of the prevailing
       westerly swell

A human tends to lean rigidity
right up to the yonder most edge,
a thin line threshold
        a step away  ―
pushed by a moment's gravity;
a blind jump over a cliff
into an unfathomable deep ocean
       far beyond
       a forgiving
       willow's bend


Jesse Stillwater ... 09  May  2018

The daffodils loftly sway neath the tall oak tree
younder in the church yard
bluebells annoint the old grounds.
Father Joseph's flock has flown,
the congregation have moved to the town.
All at once he feels alone.

Never found the purple
Through all the years of searching
So what was started remained incomplete
Stashed away in hope that maybe
Recovery would mend broken hearts
Replenish the solitary dream
And bring warmth to those
Forgotten and bereft.

Love Mary

In a hot room overlooking the football ground
I felt the pains filling my brain in reams
The sky held to blue all day and the sheets white
Then I pushed to see and someone ran the corridor.

The silver lift doors swung open and we separate
As your name I bounced off every wall, I shout,
‘Deliverance without my gentle shepherd, my love’.
You peep through green doors to a daughter born.

Love Mary