Stinchcombe Show Poetry Prize Entry

Memories of Stinchcombe Wildlife

The low first light of the day yielding shadows

With no depth, small sounds of life merge into

The consciousness of dawn; the rustle of leaves

As blackbirds search for a first meal, a clatter

As wood pigeons lurch clumsily into the air, the

Distant call of a cuckoo breaks into stillness,

Which descends once more as the mist rolls

Over the hill.

The dew lies heavy today, rich droplets on fauna

Bring their fragrance drifting into the air, wild garlic

Was rampant here recently, bluebells soared

Into life but are now a memory past and a future

Hoped for in a future Spring. Across the path here

A deer once stood, watched, then fled whilst buzzards

Cast hypnotic, lazy spells, as they soared,

Over the yellow fields below.

On higher ground now, the mist begins to part and

A dark, marmalade orange sun glimpses through the

Slowly parting shadows which lengthen quickly as

The light suddenly dazzles the eye. Distant hills

Across the river emerge through the cloud, then

Slowly descending, warmth gradually replaces the

Dew cool freshness, promising

A late Summers day to remember.

Andrew Hill © August 2013


This poem was written as an entry for the Stinchcombe Village Show 2013. The subject was Stinchcombe Wildlife. It won First Prize and I even have a rosette, I've never won a rosette before!