Still Life, With Waders - my poem for National Poetry Day

It was National Poetry Day on the second of October, this year's theme was - Remember.

This poem was conceived a long time ago, as part of a much longer thing I tried writing in memory of my father. As the longer thing still isn't even remotely satisfactory, I've re-worked this bit into a very short poem. I think it works.

Still Life, With Waders

I remember he was a twitcher

before there was twitching.

 
But not just a list of sightings

ticked off like train numbers.

Love seeps from his lists of Lapwing,

Linnet, Greylag, Goosander and

the great, Great Bustard.

 

After life, comes life.

There are still sunset waders

near the shore

up to their Redshanks

in  a skin of light.