this thing between us

Back in Edinburgh now, after a really wonderful two weeks away ...

... just before we left, I blipped an Andrew Greig poem about Orkney - and needless to say, I have purchased a few, new poetry volumes whilst on holiday! One of them was the pictured 2015 (first) collection of Lesley Glaister's poems - here's a favourite from within:


If It Were Cloth

If it were cloth
this thing between us,
it might be silk or something like
slippery and bright
flame or rose or tangerine
shot through with light

except

in it's warp there'd be
a flaw
a splinter woven in,
something rough
caught in the weft of it
a fleck to irritate
like apple peel caught in the teeth or
a scratchy label at your nape.

Worn like a shawl or scarf
to flaunt and catch the breeze it would be fine
but not to wear against the skin.

It would not slip smoothly through a wedding ring.

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Lesley Glaister (1956 - )

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