Carol Lange
Green and glistening
summer leaves
reach across the fence
of soft light fragrant wood
with holes to peep through
and a smell of ancient forests.
I peep at neighbours I never see
for both are stiff with Englishness,
needy in their high defences,
remote and dignified,
alone and undiscovered.
Only the leaves reach out,
Innocent and pure,
oblivious to the limits
of life controlled by rules,
by distances and silence,
and fear of being known.
I peep at neighbours I never see
In an empty silent garden
hoping for life there
beyond the high fence
where distances are kept
and rules matter,
where life is contained in borders
overgrown with grief.
I peep at neighbours I never see
and an eye meets mine
green and sparkling
in its solitude.
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Forty-Three Newsletter • Number 507 • July 2021
Oxford Friends Meeting
43 St Giles, Oxford OX1 3LW