Clear Poetry anthology 2015 edited by Ben Banyard All poems are copyright of their respective creators as indicated herein. This anthology © Clear Poetry 2015 Published by Clear Poetry 2015 https://clearpoetry.wordpress.com Twitter: @clearpoetryuk Facebook: facebook.com/clearpoetryuk Cover image courtesy of NYC Municipal Archives Dedicated to Clear Poetry’s contributors and readers. Contents Editor’s preface ................................................................................................................................... 10 Passion Play Robert Nisbet ................................................................................................................ 12 East End promise Julian Dobson ...................................................................................................... 13 Missing Maurice Devitt ..................................................................................................................... 14 Asymmetric Colin Will ...................................................................................................................... 15 The 9.20 to Edale Rob Miles .............................................................................................................. 16 Matters Arising Rob Miles ................................................................................................................ 16 Drawing Fig-Leaves on Michelangelo’s David Zoë Sîobhan Howarth-Lowe ............................... 17 Mismatch Sharon Larkin .................................................................................................................... 18 Unfound Norman Hadley .................................................................................................................. 19 The Bracken Path Norman Hadley.................................................................................................... 19 Dirge Seth Jani .................................................................................................................................... 20 Adamare Debbie Cannon ................................................................................................................... 21 Seaglass Kymm Coveney .................................................................................................................... 22 After the Gallery Roy Marshall ......................................................................................................... 23 That Café Carole Bromley .................................................................................................................. 24 Multiple Choice Janet Buck ............................................................................................................... 25 Strong Arms For Armstrong Simon Williams ................................................................................ 26 Shoelaces Dominic Fisher .................................................................................................................. 27 Seaside Conception Marc Woodward ............................................................................................... 28 The Poem Marc Woodward ................................................................................................................ 28 Chocolate for an Old Man Julia D McGuinness ............................................................................. 29 The Percussionist Jeff Skinner ........................................................................................................... 30 Lost Stella Wulf ................................................................................................................................... 31 Nepal Zelda Chappel........................................................................................................................... 32 Why you should always walk along a pier Julie Hogg ................................................................. 33 Before Mary Norton Gilonne ............................................................................................................. 34 Afterwards Mary Norton Gilonne ..................................................................................................... 34 Going Concern Catherine Ayres ....................................................................................................... 35 Sweets for my sweet Catherine Ayres .............................................................................................. 35 Stanley John Darwin ........................................................................................................................... 36 Strings John Darwin ........................................................................................................................... 36 Entropy Natalie Shaw ........................................................................................................................ 37 Aunt Stephen Bone.............................................................................................................................. 38 Reminders Kathy Gee ......................................................................................................................... 39 For Your Own Good Rick Mitchell .................................................................................................. 40 The Burrow Robert Nisbet ................................................................................................................. 41 Sharp Objects Michael Bartholomew-Biggs ....................................................................................... 42 Tyrants of the nether regions John Alwyine-Mosely ...................................................................... 43 mouth of night (iv)… Peter Kerr ....................................................................................................... 44 uist moonshine… Peter Kerr .............................................................................................................. 44 A flight past Mount Aspiring Helen Evans .................................................................................... 45 Leap Hour Susan Taylor .................................................................................................................... 46 The Turf Mark Totterdell ................................................................................................................... 47 The Double Locks Mark Totterdell ................................................................................................... 47 Homeless Petra Vergunst .................................................................................................................. 48 Why You Won the First Prize for The Twist Brian Johnstone ...................................................... 49 Meeting Tink in a bar in Heaven Kate Garrett ............................................................................... 50 Song to Memory Meggie Royer......................................................................................................... 51 Letter from his Widow Katherine Waudby ...................................................................................... 52 some days Rachel McGladdery .......................................................................................................... 53 After identifying your body Julia Webb .......................................................................................... 54 in the first place Laura McKee .......................................................................................................... 55 wings of desire Laura McKee ............................................................................................................ 55 Two Hundred Snow Geese Angela Readman ................................................................................. 56 The Shades of one Shade Hugh McMillan ...................................................................................... 57 To be honest Kevin Reid .................................................................................................................... 58 Taste of God to a Lifelong Atheist Kevin Reid ............................................................................... 58 And I Kissed Them Both, Then Drove to the Office Kevin Casey ............................................... 59 First Tooth Elizabeth Williamson ....................................................................................................... 60 Unspun Alex Smith ............................................................................................................................ 61 Hugging The Curves To Your Sunrise Sarah Frances Moran ....................................................... 62 To and From Geoff Anderson ............................................................................................................ 63 Ghost Story Phil Wood ....................................................................................................................... 64 Shropshire Phil Wood ........................................................................................................................ 64 Neapolitan Street Ray Miller ............................................................................................................ 65 Lost homes of the Great Aunts Pauline Sewards ............................................................................ 66 The missionaries Richie