Squirrel In The Rain

poem and image by malcolm evison

Squirrel in the Rain - repost

       
Having watched the acrobatic antics of a squirrel,  in various parts of our garden, this morning, I thought it was maybe time to repost this poem!


Squirrel InThe Rain



He perches, in sparkling eyed contemplation
of the goal. Like some celebrated stylite,
he squats on his post, oblivious
to the hostile elements. My stare

intrudes upon his gaze; defiance
resonates across the intervening space. And then
the sudden leap,
a precarious landing on the ridge; teeth bared

he nuzzles the meshwork tower,
seeking nutrition.

Losing his grip,
he hastily takes flight, back
to the stepping stone beam -
the garden fence’s parapet.

A sudden sure footed spring onto the post;
I stare at him, he glowers back at me,
brush-tail twitching. I sense
a mood of defiance; he leaps once more
to the bird tables roof.

A turbulent manoeuvre finds
a covered plateau. A sense
of instability
takes charge. He beats
a hasty retreat.

Post squatted,
he focusses once more.
He steels himself,
then springs.

The glistening plastic proves
more than a match; he takes
a floundering fall
into the sodden undergrowth.

Bedraggled, he climbs the austere fence,
tail discomfortedly curled,
shakes vigorously. The watery beads
propel themselves from body into air.

Straight tailed, disconsolate,
he beats retreat
along the wooden parapet.                 

                                   

                                      Malcolm Evison
                                      22 May 2006 


             

Some Frenzied God

On The Road To The Isles - repost

ON THE ROAD TO THE ISLES

Numbed by this alien terrain,

where truth spells a montony

of rain, we ride entombed

towards our Shangri-La.

Each fresh horizon

taunts the tired eye,

echoes the fretful sense

of hours gone by.

A weariness pervades

this no-man's land.

*****

Go West young man!

We make our final fling -

turning to be embraced

by fire. The mist resorbed,

light's pan-theophany

revives a blighted mind.

Rainbows and thunderfall engrave

their echoes on the boundary

of our wonderment, refresh

a dormant sense.

The sky line seethes -

sun sanctified.

*****

White, searing, the unseen sun

burns from the core

of mountains, transforms

a shroud of haze

into a panoply of light.

Rocks swallowed by, still seize

upon this shimmering -

a spectral residue

of more torrential times.

Malcolm Evison

Squirrel In The Rain

          Squirrel In The Rain

He perches, in sparkling eyed contemplation

of the goal. Like some celebrated stylite,

he squats on his post, oblivious

to the hostile elements. My stare

intrudes upon his gaze; defiance

resonates across the intervening space. And then

the sudden leap,

a precarious landing on the ridge; teeth bared

he nuzzles the meshwork tower,

seeking nutrition.

Losing his grip,

he hastily takes flight, back

to the stepping stone beam -

the garden fence’s parapet.

A sudden sure footed spring onto the post;

I stare at him, he glowers back at me,

brush-tail twitching. I sense

a mood of defiance; he leaps once more

to the bird tables roof.

A turbulent manoeuvre finds

a covered plateau. A sense

of instability

takes charge. He beats

a hasty retreat.

Post squatted,

he focusses once more.

He steels himself,

then springs.

The glistening plastic proves

more than a match; he takes

a floundering fall

into the sodden undergrowth.

Bedraggled, he climbs the austere fence,

tail discomfortedly curled,

shakes vigorously. The watery beads

propel themselves from body into air.

Straight tailed, disconsolate,

he beats retreat

along the wooden parapet.                   

                                      

                                      Malcolm Evison 

                                      22 May 2006   

Dogged Squalls

Dogged Squalls (Draft 12)

more puddles than hardcore form

the canines bridleway -

the howling gales chill breath

fails to dispel

the moisture sated clouds -

unbridled lashings of rain

perturbs the hounds

and angers their human minders

Malcolm Evison

04 January 2018  

A Noble Silence - illustrated poem by Malcolm Evison

   
                          A Noble Silence (2007) illustrated August 2017 - Malcolm Evison

and warmth caresses

AND WARMTH CARESSES

a day of brightness

and warmth

caresses

a wildly inflamed

frame

and brain

the opioids

assisted

a belated entry

into day

but thankfully

nature

proffered

a welcoming

charm

malcolm evison

04 May 2016

two from twitter

            Twitter Poems 2^nd June & 2^nd August 2014

Malcolm Evison ‏@sinnaluvva

oppressive muggy day

exacerbates

the old familiar

aches & pains

02 June 2014

#spoonie #verse

Malcolm Evison ‏@sinnaluvva  4m

the rain siles down

breaking

the skies dark gloom

the clouds grimace

now bears

a sunshine smile

#poem

3:37 PM - 2 Aug 2014 

two more twitter poems can be found on my Archive Mined blog at

http://hirsutemal.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/two-twitter-poems/

some frenzied god

some frenzied god
or giant
spews out its bile

the howling gale
shakes everything
down to the very root

torrential rain 
discloses flaws 
in ones protection

washes the debris away

and I retreat 
to the shelter 
of a house built on rock


malcolm evison
5 December 2013

two for National Poetry Day

twitter verse 031013

 

veiled by the mist

rain sodden fronds bow down

as if in obeisance

to the saturated ground

 

 

 

Austere Grey Day

 

although the dismal gloom

pays homage to austerity -

 

sunshine can soon dissolve

the grey skies misery -

 

austerity

will cast dark shadows

 

as long as

dogmatists prevail

 

 

                   Malcolm Evison

                   03 October 2013

First Rite

First Rite

 

 

Reluctantly compliant twigs

permit the murmuring wind

to pluck arpeggios -

 

they glisten as they dance,

throw off the recent rain,

as if to solemnize the ground

 

in Holy baptism.

Shoots drill

through the cold

 

sodden ground,

shrilling defiance.

Snow’s residue,

 

a blanket stitch,

hems in the pale green spears.

A sunbeam breaks

 

the day’s grey wash -

as if to bless

this new emergence.

 

 

 

                                            

 Malcolm Evison

  24 January 2007

BRIGHT

BRIGHT

blue sky

wisp streaked

with silver grey

the air is crisp -

the frost dressed lawn

crackles

beneath my feet

 

  Malcolm Evison

  14 January 2012

Son et Lumiere

SON ET LUMIERE

the orchestration was
truly awesome
the acoustic reverberant

a dynamic sostenuto
from the bass section
held me in thrall

until
a random glimpse
of light

through an uncurtained window
played prelude to
a further atmospheric roar -

the sound immediately
responded
to the lightning flash


Malcolm Evison
24 September 2010

Gardening In Autumn

Gardening In Autumn

mist hangs
like drops of perspiration
from the weary fronds

of autumn shrubs -
my senses sharpen
as they caress

my cheek.



malcolm evison
28 October 2009

The Simple Life

THE SIMPLE LIFE

Wet grass gleams
through the dullness
of the day

he tramples it
underfoot -
treads slowly

across the lawn
towards the pond -
surprised

by sudden
piscine splashes
he smiles -

the sun breaks
through the cloud.


Malcolm Evison
26 August '09

******************

Another (even more recent) simple write, The Goal, can be found on 'Archive Mined'

Windswept

WINDSWEPT


the wind seizes the moment
turns tangents

scuds debris
through fresh accented
passageways

inertia becomes momentum

it takes
one’s breath away.




Malcolm Evison
08 May 2009

Reclamation

RECLAMATION


Just another
lightly throbbing
gritty grey day

a second chance
to modify one’s outlook
divert one’s gaze away

from the reality -
begin to play
the game

of life regained.



Malcolm Evison
29 January 2009

GREY DAY

GREY DAY

 

 

the light

or lack of it

strives to deny

day’s movement

 

the change

from slate

to milky grey

holds sway

 

the sky

is unremitting cloud

shrouding the day

in timelessness

 

there are no contrasts

simply a hint

that the earth

may yet prove flat

 

 

                     

                                                        Malcolm Evison

                                                                       5 July 2008