The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
Be secretive – don’t make confidences,
at most drop hints.
Be small bright flowers –
peripheral, almost overlooked.
Have aliases,
a sudden sweet smell at sunrise,
a choir in the distance
from the warehouse car park.
You will be met every morning
by the odour of melting circuitry
an iron taste in your mouth;
wake from dreams
of explosions in the sky,
skeletons in the basement,
fancy dress-parties
where half the people go as coffins.
Learn each gentle word’s
potency.
Learn the combustion rate
of kindness.
Even in a prison-cell
there’s a certain slant of light
that lets shadows dance
on walls, that makes a window.
Richard Newham-Sullivan (formerly Evans) is the author of three collections of poetry. His first, ‘The Zoo Keeper’ was highly commended by The Forward Prize. He has twice been a prize winner in the International McLellan Poetry competition. You can find his author page here.