THE KEEPER




This is a list poem prompted by the online course  ' The Wild Within' tutored by Wendy Pratt. Her courses are inspiring, if anyone is interested in writing or improving their poetry have a look at her website. https://wendyprattpoetry.wordpress.com/


Robins have always attracted me, they are such convivial, cheeky garden birds but this poem has a touch of melancholy as it is hard to picture a robin without remembering my dad in his garden. It has been two years now since I walked away. 

Thanks to my brother Chris Knight for the photograph. 



THE KEEPER

Robin flies to his side,
bone pain burns
as creaking legs
wobble up
the cobbled path.
A hop ahead
rosy breast,
grandad friending,
tail wagging,
earth skipping,
scarlet waistcoat
spade sitting,
garden guarding,
patch defending,
cherry chest,
fluff feathered,
worm pulling,
eye cocking,
blackbird mocking,
berry cheeked,
pointy beaked,
song trilling,
cat teasing,
squirrel chasing,
children pleasing,
robin strutting,
ruby glowing,
garden owning.
Tears swelling,
heart cracking,
path clearing,
brambles snaking,
house for selling,
finger pricked,
blood spilling.
Robin soothing,
red breast knowing,
coal eye piercing,
heart breaching,
the Keeper gone
his soul moved on.




© 2019 Jacqueline Knight Cotterill.  All rights reserved. 




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