And there's no softness anywhere
Bar that which can be conjured
With smoke and mirrors
And half a valium.
The crows feet at my eyes
From squinting knife edge
Into astigmatic stars
Could just as well be from smiling,
Couldn't they?
I reduced my world to a scrap of sky,
This swatch of green velvet at my feet,
A fortress of elderflower, blackthorn, rowan, apricot and fig,
And have never loved anything so big.