Tinkerbell on Queensway
She barely glances at you when you chink
your spare coins in her upturned cap, but still
spreads a spell among the pavement footfalls,
making her patch by the station a land
you try not to invade. Not that you never
see men squat in front of her and wonder
what sort of bargain they’re trying to make –
only to have her stare a silent hex
of fury. Some, though, place a curled sandwich
or tea at her feet, merely for the chance
to hear the music of her gratitude
escape through the rush-hour traffic noise.
If only her wings could outfly the wind
or all the not-so-innocent Lost Boys.
Dharmavadana lives in Norwich, Norfolk, UK. His poems have appeared in The North, Poetry Salzburg Review, Under the Radar, Ambit, The Interpreter’s House, Prole and other publications. He was poetry editor of the Buddhist arts magazine Urthona from 2013-2023.