Town

Ceres

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A statue of Ceres watches over Devizes from the top of the Corn Exchange…

*

My name is Ceres, Goddess of the Corn

I stand above the Market Place and stare

With stony face, half dressed, and with a horn

Towards the North, the hill, the over there

I’ve lovely hair, but long the days have passed

When men admired the firmness of my rack

I’m old, and to be fair I can’t be arsed

Once had one’s day is never coming back

I’ve sewn my seed, been fertilised, and borne

My little birds and thrown them to the skies

Seen men come to the Market Cross to mourn

Seen marryings, and mayhem in The Vize

I’m old, but oh I see, from up on high

The secret things, the glory of the sky

*

© Gail Foster 5th January 2018

The Old Lights Of Christmas

swan

Devizes, Wiltshire; New Year’s Eve…

*

The cyclist sees, in the edge of her eye

Fireworks flash in the distant beyond

Ghostly swans on the dark of the pond

The old lights of Christmas go glittering by

The cyclist sees, in the edge of her eye

Houses shimmer with sparkling rain

Curtains drawn on sorrow and pain

The old lights of Christmas go glittering by

The cyclist sees, in the edge of her eye

Stars wheel over the Market Place

The shift of a shadow on Ceres’ face

The old lights of Christmas go glittering by

*

© Gail Foster 31st December 2016

Confetti; a Devizes wedding

Confetti; Kirstine Carr

Every year, during Carnival in Devizes, we have a Confetti Battle…

*

We dance in town, as bright confetti falls

Upon our hallowed ground, we move as one

The old and young among the market stalls

All blessed by Ceres and the setting sun

We move as one, we laugh, we catch the light

In coloured flickers deep within our eyes

A cloud of happiness, a merry flight

Of beautiful beribboned butterflies

We dance in town, bedecked like bridesmaids gay

Our hair all strewn with prettiness and joy

Our cares for one brief moment blown away

We move as one, man, woman, girl and boy

As, blessed by Ceres in her wedding gown

We all, as one, are married to our town

 *

Sonnet and photograph of Kirstine Carr

© Gail Foster 2016

 

Scatter Me

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Scatter me there where the winds are sweet

To the blue of the sky and the sun’s bright heat

On Oliver’s Camp where the dragon lines meet

Scatter me there on the hill

 

Scatter me there where the waters flow

Where the weeping mourners come and go

Down by The Wharf where the ducklings grow

Scatter me there on the bridge

 

Scatter me there where the earth sees all

When the pond is lit by a moonbeam’s fall

Where the children play and the drunkards brawl

Scatter me there on the green

 

Scatter me there where the griffons play

Where the waters pour the hours away

In the pool of the fountain on Market Day

Scatter me there in the stream

 

Scatter me there with the silent dead

Where ages of souls have been buried and wed

And the angels cavort among coffins of lead

Scatter me there by the church

 

Scatter me there where the townsfolk cried

And strew flowers on the steps when Diana died

On the stair where ’tis said that Ruth Pierce lied

Scatter me there on the cross

 

Scatter me here and leave me be

On every street, under every tree

Until I am dust and memory

Scatter me here where I’m free

 

by Gail