HEIROGLYPHS

(for Jill Sutcliffe)

At the turning of the year

At the sighing of the tide

At the final stroke of the clock

I'm there

Shivering on Cromer beach.

Huddled out of the wind

Hungry for some light.

I believe I'm waiting for you.

I think I'm hoping

That you will come along

And be overwhelmed by

My inner beauty,

And then we will hold hands

And share the glorious dawn,

Listen out for the first song

As the first sea bird

Takes its first, slow, hopeful flight

And so on

And so on.

But the reality is

I'll be flapping about like an idiot,

Showing off,

Making a lot of noise.

We'll be four drunken dots

Racing across the sand

Making clumsy marks

With our stupid feet

And that's really not going to work

Is it?