EDWARD ALPORT

Strings 3

‘tongue for water’

May 2025

Winter’s Hill

On Winter’s Hill, the trees
are stripped of finery. Horizons fade
to show new and further horizons underneath.
The air is clearer now, and thinner, with an edge.
The light is brighter but illuminates less.
There may be less to see.

On Winter’s Hill, everything
close-by seems far away. The stars
and flowers hang too far away to reach but
almost close enough to touch. Scents are
grit to the nostrils and sounds that
might be music turn to noise.

We could stand here, hand in hand, until
the horizon comes close enough to touch.

EDWARD ALPORT is a retired teacher and proud Essex Boy. He currently occupies his time as a poet, writer and gardener. He has had poetry, articles and stories published various webzines and magazines and performed on BBC Radio and Edinburgh Fringe. He used to post snarky micropoems on Twitter as @cross_mouse.