Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white;Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk;Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font.The firefly wakens; waken thou with me.    Now droops the milk-white peacock like a ghost,And like a ghost she glimmers on to me.    Now lies the Earth all Danaë to the stars,And all thy heart lies open unto … [Read more...]

The grey sea and the long black land; And the yellow half-moon large and low; And the startled little waves that leap In fiery ringlets from their sleep, As I gain the cove with pushing prow, And quench its speed i' the slushy sand.  Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach; Three fields to cross till a farm appears; A tap at the pane, the … [Read more...]

We have shared many years though I am the younger I came upon you in the spring you called, I answered. Despite the wind and rain, snow, and ice the cruelty of the knife, you rise every summer glorious royal red a king’s blood – but deep within your roots the purest, whitest heart shines. Copyright (2019) M J Christie First published in Intimately Intricate … [Read more...]