The castle on the hill
Stands like a fortress now
High sloping roof
Still
Ready
For the snow
The howling winds
The silence~

Surrounded by hard paths
All swept
Clean of summer
Now nothing moves
Step altered

Grass paths
Worn anew leaf specked
Lead silent
Towards the empty space
Where a new sown meadow waits uncut
Full of clover clumps
Buttercup and daisy roots
Where seed of poppy on new earth
Traces the shape
Of the old shed

Stripped
Dismantled
Packed
Now gone

Green box
Clipped like soldiers
Stand motionless in wind
Sentries snipped
In control~

While rain lashes
The silly sprawling fig
Still shooting buds
In the hope of finding Spring again

The beech hedge
By the door
Reduced recently
By a noisy chain
Stands silent too~
Leaves tight in hold
Still there
Guarding
The view

~Turn~

See the starry hedge
By the creaking fence
Unclipped
Dishevelled
Still breathing
Wind whipped
Holding onto
Summer’s song
While leaves astir
In gentle hold
Hide a secret~
In her leafy hollow
Underneath her gentle boughs~
Where they can see
The mists the moon
Play hide and seek ~
Her secret womb
The nesting place
Abandoned now
By flying things
And summer’s stars ~

It’s where you’ll hear her
When she weeps
In autumn rain
~Still spangling from last summer’s sun
Waiting
Still waiting
Still

Gill McGrath© ~ November 9~ written October 5

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