June 9th, 2022Local Lines
Mallacoota teacup poem
I broke a cup today,
deep azure, gold tipped
last of a set, a wedding gift, and
with its going saw another time
saw the bright lit cupboard
filled until tomorrow
saw the clothesline full and dancing, floating up
saw a warm and soapy, iridescent child
heard the silent song of a flower awakening.
Heard deep inside the memories speaking
years of slow moving afternoons
conversations around teapot and cake
gold-rimmed cups and chequered cloth
warm and gold tea and
eyes meeting at the heart.
We buried the shards in her garden
near the grapevine bearing fruit
near the jonquil’s gold-tipped song.
And set the cloth as if on an altar
on a clipped green table, decorous with daisy
and sunshine dapple
and together we drank tea
and ate cake, all afternoon long.
- Rhonda Cotsell
Retired librarian Rhonda lives in Creswick and though most of her working life was spent in cities, she was born to a farm and small towns have finally been able to build her writing life. Her other loves are her adult offspring and grandson, garden, cooking and eating, and reading way too much.
Local Lines comes mainly from a group of local poets but other submissions are always welcome. To have a poem considered for publication contact Bill Wootton at cottlesbreedge@gmail.com
