Spring Cleaning
In Venice, at the carnival,
or classic clown in circus ring,
a drama queen on nightclub stage,
loose actress in the pantomime,
folk character in floral dance,
or catwalk snob in fashion shot,
blue movie flit through shady grey -
while grubs insects, as carnivore,
where does this pert tit carry me?
I’ve seen them peck at crocus show,
stiletto stab at heart of blooms,
to gash, gouge, pierce and skewer flower.
We catch an old song in the buds,
spring cleaning twigs of trojan bugs,
turning over a new leaf, tweet,
a twitter feed as morning hop,
clear sweep swipe in the spirit of
spring blossom giving way to fruit.
But what a dress this cleaner wears,
no bucket, mop, just featherlight.
but dust-up, goldcrest passerine,
or firecrest if it trespasses.
Stephen Kingsnorth
Stephen Kingsnorth, retired to Wales from ministry in the Methodist Church with Parkinson’s Disease, has had pieces published by on-line poetry sites, printed journals and anthologies, most recently Poetry Potion, Ariel Chart, The Parliament Literary Journal, Ink Sweat and Tears, Visual Verse.