Keeping Safe
I’m thankful for the timely pheasant who called
today in this moment of slow time, a flash
of golden plumage behind the flowers,
an incessant blackbird returned,
a song thrush repeated its phrases
twice, often three times over
and the lesser celandine arrived after
coming through storms – seven godly
yellow petals, a child’s flower painting.
Yesterday tulips opened their faces;
I know I am not the only one
to chart the days of apple blossom.
We are not in ruins. I am not the only
person in the world. Soon the light
will signal the fronds of ferns to uncurl.
Mary Matusz lives in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Her poems have been published in magazines and anthologies, including Hallelujah for 50ft Women (Raving Beauties, Bloodaxe), Diversifly (Fair Acre Press) and Pennine Platform, and are forthcoming in Poetry Salzburg and The North.
