Melanie Perry
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
Kumquat Marmalade
Come. Squat
beside my bush,
grasp the pot-bound
roots, thumb-ease earth
between my toes,
shake and sieve it
fresh on new soil.
From white flowers,
steam my neroli
to perfume-pierce
a lingering night,
condense scent
in golden beads,
studs and rings.
Pick my mandarin globe,
roll it in your fingers
run your index nail
along my pores
release my zest.
Cup each fruit
in your left hand
place them in turn
to your lip.
Bite their tips,
feel the soft crunch,
like a footstep’s tread
as we pause.
Squeeze me
let my juice jizz you.
Cleave me,
suck a pip, dance
its tango
mouth to mouth,
secrete sap,
suck syrup,
pare my peel.
pound my flesh
to preserve
the citrus smack
of slatted breakfast light
through an O so smooth
translucent jam.
North Sea
In those ocean troughs
there were no rainbows,
invitation, nonetheless.
At the top of wave crests
a thudder as the propellor
cleared the water,
dropped beads
of icy, pewter grey
from sea-slicing blades.
Behind her, in the west,
lights blinked,
folded from sight
into a darkening horizon.
Ahead lay nautical miles
of black across Tyne,
Dogger, Fisher until she could
slip through Skaggerak,
guided by the amber beam
of Pater Noster’s light,
piloted by another ship’s
welcoming hoot.
Melanie Perry is a published poet, spoken word performer and writing practitioner from Carmarthenshire. She has two poetry collections- Rum Dark Nights, (2017), published by Three Throated Press and the bilingual English/Swedish Sound the Hollow/Det Håligas ljud (2018) published by Magnus Grehn Förlag, Sweden- which feature work inspired by the landscape, natural world and personal events. She is a Director of write4word which promotes the development of writers and the development of people through writing, and is co-presenter of Poems and Pints at The Queens, one of south Wales leading open mic events. In addition to working therapeutically with a range of groups and individuals in Wales, Mel works alongside the Swedish arts organisation Kultivera to co-produce Young Writers Lab which has supported young people throughout the Jönköping region to create and enjoy their own writing.