... Hope you don't mind, Lori! :)) Bear with me... I had surgery last Friday and am still recuperating from the general anaesthetic (nothing too drastic, no worries!) Major complaint (apart from fatigue) right now is a bad throat owing to all the intubation - hence the associations I guess. But thanks, Lori, for getting my pen off it's sick bed... Hope to be back to normal (normal??!!) just asap. Kate xx

white-capped waves
rolling into themselves –
promises

Lori L Moore, 29.6.09.



WHITE-HORSE PROMISES

ceaseless cascade
of moon-ruffled waves,
silk-wrapped sheets
foetally-curled,
sshh-ing baby-soft whispers
tumbling heels over head;

souvenirs of some
satin-slippered night;
untucked shirt-tails
streaming the length
of ivory-slit envelopes
s.w.a.l.k.’d by valentines;

cloven-footed centaurs,
bronco-backed, foaming
in slow-mo stampede,
rearing Arab-esques
chafing bridle and bit…


I bite my lip. Sip,
savour, swallow;
savour, swallow, sip;

wade into readiness,
wallow in waiting…


As smooth stone placed
beneath parched tongue
slakes hot thirst,
waters sourceless mouth
on a dry and barren shore

so, too, pregnant promises
saturate the mind,
swell the silent throat with
their succulent suspense.