The dipper, rocking on his bolder watch,
alert, in crowded camouflage, discreet,
magnetic hands at ten to two, scarf smoothed
with charm, the smile and words to reassure,
observed by none, a gesture, token, trove
to join the piling posts in fencing shed.
Grandfather’s own from warring fields,
the wallet slipped, worn-leather shine,
is soon binned skip, of no account,
what worth that life-held photo snap?
It sandwiched with paninis, wraps
pork chops and pȃté, jumbled food.
Surveying bins for easy trash,
amongst pre-packed day-before date,
she saw pigskin beneath the tripe,
patina pointing to her Dad –
before the crush about her life –
and needed it before the scraps.
Her whorled prints scraped the bacon fat,
and there the image, pipe in mouth,
for grandparent she never knew
became the pin-up she withdrew.
Between the paper sheets and card,
it tucked, her corrugated love.
Published by Sparks of Calliope, 16th December 2019
https://sparksofcalliope.wordpress.com/2019/12/16/pickings-by-stephen-kingsnorth/
Published by Parkinson Art, 24th February 2021
https://parkinsons.art/parkinsons-art-poetry/o6z6dgn5r3bi7dke4yshghrlrwl01e
Published by Medusa’s Kitchen, 7th November 2021
https://medusaskitchen.blogspot.com/2021/11/secret-gardens.html
Published by Piker Press, Boxing Day 2022
https://www.pikerpress.com/article.php?aID=9572
Published by Lothlorien Poetry Journal, 29th October 2023
https://lothlorienpoetryjournal.blogspot.com/2023/10/five-poems-by-stephen-kingsnorth.html
Published by Stephen Kingsnorth
My name is Stephen Kingsnorth. I am 70 and retired from ministry in the Methodist Church, living in north Wales. Like so many, I have been a nominee for the The Pushcart Prize & Best of the Net. To retain appearance on my blog https://poetrykingsnorth.wordpress.com/ a piece must be accepted by a publisher and/or ‘liked’ by a reader.
I have had pieces accepted by 80+ publishers, for publication online by Nine Muses Poetry, Voices Poetry, Eunoia Review (Singapore), Runcible Spoon, Ink Sweat and Tears, The Poetry Village, Amethyst Review, Softblow Literary Journal (Singapore), From the Edge, Soul-Lit (USA), Sparks of Calliope (USA), Academy of the Heart and Mind (USA), Allegro, Ekphrastic Review (Canada), The Recusant, Militant Thistles (Scotland), Visual Verse, Another North, Literary Yard (India), Poetry Potion (South Africa), Former People Journal (USA), Poetry Space, Clavmag, Twisted Vine Literary Journal (USA), Indolent Books (USA), The Writers' Café, A New Ulster Literary Journal, Love-Wrexham Magazine, Lighten Up Online, Young Ravens Literary Review (USA), Here Comes Everyone Magazine, Compass Photography, Parkinson's Art, Writing Sparks (Australia), Passager Books (USA), Foxglove Journal, Featured Poets (USA), The Quiver (USA), Unique Poetry (USA), Ariel Chart International Literary Journal (Australia), Grand Little Things (USA), Crȇpe & Penn Quarterly (USA); Spillwords (USA), Poetrywivenhoe, The Poet Magazine, Setu Bilingual Journal (USA & India), Hencroft Hub, Mad Swirl (USA), Medusa's Kitchen (USA), Stone Literary Journal (USA), Zero Readers (USA), Groupie Mag (USA), New Note Poetry Magazine, The Gentian Journal, The Garfield Lake Review, The Whisky Blot, Piker Press, Five Fleas Itchy Poetry, The Hallowzine, Boats Against the Current, Solid Food Press, Green Ink Poetry, Fevers of the Mind, The Wombwell Rainbow, The Pierian, A Day's Encounter, Oddball Magazine; Clepsydra Literary and Arts Magazine, The Seraphic Review; and print poetry magazines Gold Dust, The Seventh Quarry, Indigo Dreams Publishing: The Dawntreader, Voices for the Silent; Foxtrot Uniform, New Contrasts (South Africa), Vita Brevis' Anthology 'Pain and Renewal', Fly on the Wall Press 'Identity', Word Poppy Press, 'Sequoia Speaks' (USA), Milk & Cake Press: 'Dead of Winter II', The Anansi Archive, Fresh Words International Literary Magazine, Green Ink: 'Bark and Blossom', 'Trespass', 'Forage', 'Enclosure', Daylightzine, The Pierian, Dadakuku, Sweetycat Press, 'Around the World: Landscapes & Cityscapes Anthology', 'Love Anthology', 'Stories & Poems in the Song of Life Anthology', 'Beautiful: In the Eye of the Beholder Anthology', 'Movement - Our Bodies in Action', 'Zooanthology', 'The Gift' (USA), The Poet Magazine's 'Friends and Friendship', 'Adversity', 'Cultural Identity', 'Poetry for Ukraine', 'Family', Thema, The Writer's Workout (WayWords & Tales of the Strange),The Parliament Literary Journal's 'Truth Serum', 'Cravings & Compulsions', 'A Toast for the Scumbags', 'Masks & Manes', 'Mania', 'Liars', 'All Stars', 'Ecstasy and Despair', 'Mortality', Lothlorien Literary Journal, 'Windmills in the Mind', 'Roads to Serendipity', 'Nighthawk Shadows' etc, Parkinson's Art 'Out of the Blue'; Parkinson's UK billboard campaign 2023.
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