The Sixth Hour

Have you ever seen night,
Where the Sun should be?
Like the depths were the sky
And the day a spirit fleeing
Beyond reach - 
Leaving only mystery
Shivering in our bones
With the unknowing cold.
There are no stars
That make a beautiful dark -
It is an unnatural pause
That roots our feet in question -
Not just fear
Of the sudden shadows over the hills
And under our skin.
We glance at each other,
Beneath our headscarves -
And we all feel it -
A fall,
Soul-deep sleeping,
A dawn. 

LJ Ireton 2024 

The Silence of the Birds

In the inhale of the earth,
The silence of the birds,
The watching for the white Sun - 
Dry words are breathing.

When the wind has torn the forests,
But the moorhens deem it safe
To walk on dirty water -
Write of their returning.

When the tree arms unbend
And creatures crawl curious,
Unsinging,
There is the poem, 
The tin grey cloud in its palm -
Eyes towards its absence. 

C. LJ Ireton 2024 

To The Sky

As blossom makes beautiful the falling,
So does a poem belong to the sky -

To tell of it, to tell how

You kissed my words with lemon pink roses
Then lifted them to life.

C. LJ Ireton 2024 

Distant Creatures

I run through the mud in a town satin dress,
Pierced now with cat claws and hawthorn,
Cold moor winds.
At the fences I reflect on the unknown ground with the same sound of birds -
I could go to the ends of the earth
And a beautiful familiar
Would still find me there.

I pick up my skirts
To save them from more scratches
And curtsy to the souls
In the grass - 
Distant creatures have kept me close to myself,
A sheep's nose snuffle and look from feline eyes -
Mine, the things I love - 
Always mine. 

C. LJ Ireton 2024

March Champagne

I went out into the misty March sun,

The ground still cold and soil soaked

But the champagne light

Was finally high enough -

A diluted prayer

Of grey gold

Where monochrome thoughts had been,

That my restrained hope,

So often pressed against glass,

Tilted back, 

Ready for the sip.

LJ Ireton 2024