bent low over roses - avril newey
Those of you who were moved by the gentle, reflective nature of the poems in Avril’s first poetry collection, ‘The Inheritance’ will find many surprises within the pages of this collection.
Some of these poems have, until now, not been made public; others have appeared in a wide range of significant poetry magazines and other publications - a testament to the quality of Avril’s skill as a poet.
Gethsemane
Home from university
you crossed the lawn,
surprising your grandfather
bent low over roses.
sophistication crumbled
and you skipped,
eager to see your face
locked in his eyes.
five months on you
died: four fridays more
he followed: eyes tight shut
two days before the end.
and in my childhood garden
(hymned and pulpit-planted)
perhaps you waited -
skipping in welcome
as he crossed the grass?
© Avril Newey. 2006
you crossed the lawn,
surprising your grandfather
bent low over roses.
sophistication crumbled
and you skipped,
eager to see your face
locked in his eyes.
five months on you
died: four fridays more
he followed: eyes tight shut
two days before the end.
and in my childhood garden
(hymned and pulpit-planted)
perhaps you waited -
skipping in welcome
as he crossed the grass?
© Avril Newey. 2006
