skin
she has touched
silence through
the upstairs window
language stilled
by the movement of stars
his back towards her
he sleeps
she keeps watch
he sleeps
slow so slow
the duvet cover pattern
returning
wake up
wake up she whispers
hold me
in this cool light
Lynn comments: This poem originates from a sleepless night spent with a special other. The room we were in was upstairs and somehow the stars seemed closer than when seen from downstairs. I was aware of them out there orbiting, doing what they are meant to do and I was in here alone because of the absence (in his sleep) of my partner, how close we were but separate. I wouldn’t have felt that absence if I too had been asleep.The poem must have been mostly written over a decade ago and took some tweaking over time. The title was at one stage down the bottom as /leave your warm sleep/ hold me/ in this cool light/.
Helen comments: It’s a pleasure for me to publish this well observed and crafted cameo from Lynn Tara Austin. I have always admired her poetry. In Christchurch we were members of the same poetry group and she was an excellent example of the poet’s dedication to detail. In the poem above the line the ‘duvet cover pattern returning’ is a powerful example of this.
Bio in Brief: Lynn Tara Austin lives in Christchurch and is concerned today to hear that the city council wants to delist heritage trees. She is a long term member of the well known Airing Cupboard Women Poets group and the Small White Teapot Haiku Group and has performed her poetry in numerous venues. Her poems have been published in Micropress, Spin,The Press,Yellow Moon, paper wasp, listening to the rain, Fugacity, nzepc, Takahe, Atlas Poetica 23 and NZ Poetry Society and AWCP anthologies.
If you would like to read more Tuesday Poems please go to the Tuesday Poem Page here and dip into the treasures of the left hand sidebar.
gurglewords 