Explosion at Michelle’s cafe
A waitress brushes against the lilac tree
setting the spider’s line vibrating,
and sending a bullet train of sunlight
along the line,
betraying the trap.
So the dark line of refracted light
expands across the sky
foretelling the destruction
of sugar bowls in cafes,
bicycles padlocked to railings,
mother and daughter window shopping
at Mason’s bikes.
The midge, if alert, can avoid the web,
take another path round the tree.
Too small to avoid the blast wave that
faster than sound,
faster than thought,
comes my way,
I sit and sip my coffee.
Clare Knock is a university lecturer teaching physics based subjects.