All Hallows Anniversary
A heavy storm has made the flat roof leak
and in the small hours, memories drip
from the bedroom ceiling.Unlike the rain they cannot be absorbed
by piles of folded towels, or mopped into a bucket, so
I paddle through them, barefoot, towards dawn.Flower stalls sprout on street corners and blossom
with chrysanthemums and wreaths
for loved ones’ graves.I skirt the queues and wonder, should I buy
for the ghost of a relationship
long dead?
The poem is from the collection Around the Corner from Hope Street.
Read sequentially, the poems reveal a narrative thread, covering a period of 15 months in the life of the female narrator; they deal with themes of alienation and isolation, recovery and renewal, and, of course, love. The book is illustrated in black and white by graphic artist Lance Tooks and available in various digital formats from the Tantamount bookstore.
(A draft of the poem was posted on the blog a few years ago.)
don't confuse the narrator 