Polished stones gleam in the late sun. Gilt lettering,
coloured cellophane, roses crisped to a dark mottling.
Stuffed bears guard the graves of children, solemn-eyed,
faintly mildewed. Across the yard, a ginger cat
resents our intrusion, shoots disdainful, yellow looks
in our direction, flashes us his puckered bottom. Dismissed,
we comb the rows of indexed stones, dead names
making momentary homes in our mouths. Ten minutes in,
I see the name and stop. My palms abruptly damp.
A frame of pebbles neatly rims her pitch,
a bush of something wild springing from the patch
above her breast. Two baskets further down
foam over with posies; twin clay goddesses,
stoutly female, balance on the marker.
I bend to place a snatch of heather
in the scrubby tangle of tribute and weed. She wanted her bones
to whiten among it. A wood pigeon calls from the trees,
a hollow sound. Who. Who. I speak her name in answer.
Author notes
I recently went to Heptonstall, where I visited Sylvia Plath's grave site...hence the poem.
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 16 of 16
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Ah! How keen.
"dead names making momentary homes in our mouths"
You're a wonderful poet.
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lovely
Great work,
I loved roses crisped, and
dead names
making momentary homes in our mouths
I, too would like to see her name in it, or maybe a reference to one of poems (you may have already done this).
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beautiful
Wonderful description of a graveyard visit. Your words created perfect images of each feature. Oustanding use of language and a pleasure to read aloud. I am an admirer of Ms Plath so especially liked that background. Great reading experience.
iroquois
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Exquisite!
You took me there with you! I loved the imagery...how you perfectly captured the cat and his behavior....the sad teddy bears guarding graves. But my favorite part was:
"we comb the rows of indexed stones, dead names
making momentary homes in our mouths."
That is the bit that made me think, "Oh! I have been there but never was able to consign the feeling to words." Thank you for giving me the words.
Truly remarkable and memorable, my friend. Thank you so much for sharing it with me.
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Great job wouldnt change a thing. Very visual wonderful imagry you can nearly smell the atmosphere. I certainly would love to read more by you.
XO
Cyb
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Gentle sadness
Not the kind of thing that I could write, and so do not feel competent to critique. I imagine that Heptonstall is somewhere in the North of England, and I have personal sad memories from a burial up there overlooking the windy moors. Very vivid description of the scene, and I also have a habit of instinctively replying to wood-pigeons, mentally at least!
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Gentle sadness
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YAY an Esther poem.
roses crisped -- very good.
"making momentary homes in our mouths" -- wonderful.
The couplets work well here and your line breaks are very well done.
I wonder if there is anyway to work her name into the poem ?
Sylvia wanted her bones?
Just a thought.
Hope you are well and happy.
Lisa
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I like the description of the graveyard, but I'm still wondering why you brought me there
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I found this to be a very nostalgic poem and it caught my imagination exquisitely. I could almost smell the flowers. Beautifully written. Well done. Val
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Beautifully written. Your attention to detail here is excellent, and because I haven't had the chance to visit myself, I appreciate it.
In reading about Emily Bronte, it is almost funny to link her with Plath, though 'melodrama' is thrown at both of them regularly enough.
Again, a beautiful, evocative write. Greatly enjoyed.
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Beautiful, I have walked around many a grave yard in this fashion. You captured that feeling very well
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This is really good write keep penning Thanlk you for sharing this was wonderful and it was a pleasure to read.
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Well done! Very descrptive. I felt like I was walking through the churchyard with you.
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I liked the line about the cat's puckered bottom. It is very difficult to coin unusual phrases like that and this one made me smile (as a cat lover of course). I am always puzzled why people so make so much fuss about Sylvia Plath when there are so many more interesting and talented poets to admire.
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I rather like this. The end when the subject answers the birds is great but I especially like the line "dead names
making momentary homes in our mouths"
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