Tuesday 13 October 2009

History

Hello. I'm delighted to be Poet Laureate on this blog. Here's my introductory poem.


History

is some kind of climb,
a plinth moment,
repeated on the hour in a different costume.

History is Nelson
stepping down;
another poet said it’s a long dark chute.

History is light
dawning:
that feeling, that fact; the way it was.

History is a text,
a voice:
artefact of here from then.

History is a croft,
one candle burning,
or a great house gas-lit by chandeliers.

History
is the way eyes close
and new news becomes old.