The chalk dust on her fingers ...

We heard birdsong in the gathering dark -

Flooded fields lay beyond the hedgerows -

Bare trees whispered above our heads -


Beyond the river I could see the lights of the railway crossing -

I saw the church tower amongst the pine trees -

The floodwaters still reflected the last light of the January sky -


I thought of our windows which overlooked the churchyard -

The last teacher knew our narrow stairs -

She'd played the harmonium in our garden -


We were known to the sleepers outside our windows -

If I saw her, I'd know her by her green coat -

Then by the chalk dust on her fingers -


Sunday 5 January 2020


East Stoke
Dorset