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Cheshire Poet Laureate
Passing it on
I watched her as she stitched herringbone, feather,
chain, copying each tug of split stranded thread
until beds of harebells, rosebuds, forever-entwined
stalks overgrew our cushion backs, runners,
handkerchief corners. Today I will sew my words
to the landscape, tack poetry to the horizon, french-knot
memories onto my children’s pillows, embroider the sky.
I followed as he patrolled the garden’s borders,
watched each turn of spade, each drawing of weed.
His dirt-creased fingers patiently steered my child’s
hand eager with its consignment of seeds. Today
I will plant my words in solid rows, nurture them,
to tall sunflowers, or scatter them to easy
unfettered blossoms in banks and meadows.
She gave me knitting needles, fat with thick wool,
shadowed my learning, in, round, through, off.
Side by side we measured our industry, vied
for the neatest purl and plain. Today I will unfurl
my words onto banners, hang them on hedgerows
woven into cats cradles and spiders webs. I will
be-ribbon streams and lace edge ocean waves.
They showed me to an enchanted hall, where
learning charmed and coaxed my early years,
where carnivals of books paraded through the door.
Today I am a thousand people spun from straw
to gold by guiding hands and by greeting hands
whose treasure will not tarnish at some rainbows end
but gleam like teatime waiting for the guests to come.
Joy Winkler
Poem commissioned by Cheshire County Council for the inaugural Cultivate conference on 13 April 2005 from the Cheshire Poet Laureate
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