Bio: In retirement from school teaching then tutoring ESOL at the local technical institute, Bernard Gadd has been focussing on writing and publishing poetry, and recently returned to short story writing. He won the 2004 Bravado poetry contest and the 2004 Takahe essay contest.
ages
around me nothing
is old
it’s the moon
is ancient the far stars
and the hot star
white hair
speckle hands
curve back
are young young young
walker
Vivaldi concerti along the street
the girl’s shins part
rain all her rhythms in accord
with viola continuo
her face turns
in a window fingers seize
pencil and score page
“Sennacherib” she sings falsetto
marvelling she knows the name
the path’s glissando lamp to lamp
she turns a knee this way that
wonders if the tiny rain notes change
she steps onto the bridge
a pizzicato of calves
ankles heels
frontier song
with thanks to Tang poets of ancient China
horse coats frost
my breath guts lungs
armour’s chill sears
arrows slash
snow’s half light
tears in the wind
turn hail
my one faith
always is a far dawn
on orange tiles
and apricot’s flower
ducks in a stream
a taste of ginger
fragments in rice
and the softness
of eyelids and lips
gales won’t score
and forebears peacable
among the paddies