From along the ridge
I saw through Swell Wood’s winter skeleton
To the sun-bathed Levels
Their rain-full grips and rhynes
Fields; mirrors to the sky
That held the pink tinge
Of chilled noses
Numb fingers
Of frost-smoke breath
Of the cold that will fall
From behind the stars tonight
.
n.b. Grip: cut in the Levels to ease water run off. Rhyne: water channel cut along field edges to provide a way to hold drinking water for livestock and to mark boundaries in lieu of hedgerows.
CLP 19/01/2020
