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'No Terrapin Today'

My entry for The Poetry Archive Now! WordView 2022
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Poem Description / Inspiration:

The pond in Herne Bay Park holds many memories for me. My brother and I used to canoe on it, my sister and I saw a gull eat a duckling after swooping for bread and each visit home includes a walk to see if the terrapin is basking on the rock by the island. I don’t visit as often as I used to before the lockdown and often rely on updates from my sister. This poem was written after she rang me one day to tell me that the terrapin was not there.

No Terrapin Today

 

Just her in the water.

The sun warming her

as she floats.

 

A fallen leaf,

landed beside her,

shines its green to the sky.

 

Branches and leaves

pattern her outline

with their shadows.

 

You say you want to photograph her,

that you wonder what her eyes are seeing

as she lies unmoving in the water.

 

I can only think of thick mud

holding on tight to faded crisp packets.

 

But look, you say, she is smiling.

 

And she is.

 

Her long hair floats out

like golden pondweed,

and she looks happy

the abandoned doll

eyes wide,

eyelashes still curled,

that mouth.

 

As if she doesn’t even know

she was thrown in,

left behind.

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