Clematis
One by one its pale buds lift
like Chinese lanterns
to splutter into soft-edged stars
the stamens within
thin spurts of fire – sparks feeling
in to the dark green
flowers that appear to blink
bedazzled: blonde and thickly lashed,
the petals wilting
even as they bloom – creased
like a Grandmother’s skin
around the eyes.
We gather them in,
gather them up, as always
snuffling our noses in
for the sweet, clogged scent.
Our lady of the yard
we nurture, with her
gnarled roots and flaking branches
letting her wild strands dance
on the late spring breeze.
Olivia Walwyn recently completed an MA Creative Writing (Poetry) at the University of East Anglia, and has a pamphlet forthcoming in Summer 2018 with Templar Poetry.