Goldfish on the Coast
How close we came to leaving each other
on the hard shoulder, walking in different
directions, following the line of fields
for lonely miles then hitching a lift –
me toward the sea, you with a spirit
level back to the midlands.
It would have been dark by the time
you put your key in the lock,
let yourself in to the cool hush;
prayer plants folded, landing light blown
and the dog staring into the night
expecting me to sing his name.
I’d have steadied myself on the coast,
bought a two-slot toaster, ruined a few heels
on the cobbles of the old town swaying home.
There would have been other men, a goldfish,
gulls screaming overhead, but no cause
for concern, none whatsoever.
Roz Goddard is a poet and short fiction writer. She has published four collections of poetry. She is currently part of a team at based at Birmingham University exploring how reading and poetry can be integrated in gaming for use in primary schools. Twitter: @rozgoddard