Guest Poet – Jane Dougherty

Jane Dougherty from Jane Dougherty Writes has been kind enough to contribute this week as guest poet.*

Author of The Green Woman series, Jane’s poetry, very like her longer tales, is lyrical and filled with the dark folk tale and ‘other’ or ‘outsider’ imagery that I identify with {Steeleye Span and Cruel Sister – amongst many others – was the background soundtrack to my childhood and the antidote to anything pink or prim}.

Without further ado, here’s Jane’s poem.

Where the tide ebbs low

In the mud by the river
The kingcups grow
And the alders bow and the white gulls cry.
On the bank of the river rolling by
The tide runs high and the tide ebbs low.

In the reeds by the river
When the sun is low
Where the heron stands in the alders’ shade
The willow hangs over a secret glade
A rushy bank where the lovers go.

On the path by the river
Where the kingcups blow
And the heron stalks and the white gulls call
I saw my love where the reeds grow tall
And the tide runs high and the tide ebbs low.

In the reeds by the river
Where the sea breeze blows
He held her close and he whispered low
Were it not for me he’d be free to go
Where the wild geese fly and the river flows.

In the mud by the river
There’s a yellow glow
Where I tossed from my finger a golden ring
That flashed in the sun like a finch’s wing
For the sea to take when the tide ebbs low.

*Would you like to be a guest poet on 12C & Skiving?
Let me know in the comments box below.