Tuesday, June 02, 2009

In memory of Clare

For Clare – Amanda Stephens ©


Russet leaves flatter the earth
Mornings wring wet,
jagged afternoons

We cluster in droves at footpath cafés
Cappuccino frothing like gossip on our lips
Summers’ last stolen twitch

And all the while

That callous harpy that is death
Scrapes her nails
Across the blackboard
of life.







RIP, Clare.




13 comments:

The villager: said...

Very well written poem.

The Sagittarian said...

Thanks, Villager. I wrote it for a friend of ours whose 19 year old daughter died of bowel cancer. She was a lovely girl, if mine turn out half as lovely as her I'll be very happy!

Steve said...

That really is very excellent. A competition winner if you can bear to enter something so personal.

Rol said...

Nice work, Sag.

Anonymous said...

I can't read poems - not sure why. Never have been able to. Don't hate me for it. It's the mathematician in me - I see short lines and my mind shifts into calculator mode.

How sad re your friend's daughter - so very young to die.

Owen said...

Scribbling poems can help take the edge off grief, even while the hair on the back of one's neck is still standing up from the scrape of fingernails across the black board... what an apt and painful image...

The Sagittarian said...

Steve - you're way too kind but thanks anyway! (I'm not sure I can enter it in anything now that I have "self published" it??)

Rol - cheers!

RB - hey no worries, maths has the same mind-numbing effect on me too. I'll drink to that!

Owen - indeed; even now I find it hard to get that she really has gone.

Helen said...

that last verse is so so good. you clever. xxx

Old Cheeser said...

Aaaah so your wonderful poem has gone public at last! Excellently written Amanda (a shame of course it has to be based on such sad subject matter of course); evocative imagery and language; compact and concise...Gosh I'm such a bloody English teacher...

But undoubtedly an A* !!! Go to the top of the class!!

The Sagittarian said...

Pixie - why spank you m'am! Considering you always got more published at school than I did, high praise indeed.

OC - hehe, yes I finally decided to "do it" - thanks for all your encouragement. I guess I owe you a shiny red apple?!

meggie said...

Excellent writing.

Condolences.

Love the photos in the last post.

The Poet Laura-eate said...

Very poignant Amanda. I hope it was a comfort to her family.

VioletSky said...

What a lovely tribute.
Sometimes poetry can clear the mind of extraneous thoughts and let them float free.

My condolences.