in from the cold—
warming front then back
before the open fire /nd

on the oak sideboard
a vase of snowdrops /fw

windblown spray,
the town square fountain
soaks the cobbles /as

ships in the bay
swap jokes by semaphore /nd

I watch transfixed
by a yellow moon
and the shapes of bats /fw

above the sleeping babe
a mobile twirls /as

* * *

just some scattered
dust and bones beside
the ancient wall /nd

weaving through the shoppers
with my brand-new broom /as

cup final day,
a roar from the crowd
as our team scores /fw

an arm slipped around her
on the rollercoaster /as

your phone voice
grows more distant
with every business trip /nd

our wedding photos
digitally coloured /fw

how black this world
now that we meet
only in my dreams /nd

noises from the zoo
mingle with the fog /fw

calling to the does
an elk bull paws
the moonlit ground /as

michaelmas daisies
line the border's edge /fw

* * *

bright strips of cloth
adorn the entrance
to the holy well /nd

the bedcovers tossed off
on such a hot night /as

just before dawn
the ghost of a friend
appears on the stairs /fw

the last snow still lingers here
high up in the glen /nd

a gust of blossoms
startles the pigeons
into pink flight /fw

she paints her toenails
ready for sandal days /as