Between moored hulls that knock together,
a cormorant: diving. It surfaces, flips under,
surfaces again. The opaque water
slaps the dockside, hides the cable ends.
Meanwhile, the city wakes up: car horn, shop shutters.
The children devise their Knock-Down Ginger, their Bulrush.
They grin in the street at anyone. Around them
the buildings fade out, rising from shadow to nothing.
*
Extracted from Meryl Pugh’s debut collection Natural Phenomena, published today by Penned in the Margins.
We have three copies of the book to give away on tomorrow’s newsletter – make sure you’re subscribed before 11am Friday for the chance to win.
The author will launch Natural Phenomena in a special outdoor event at the Nomadic Community Gardens, a hidden enclave of green in a former derelict site off Brick Lane in London, on 1 March. For free entry RSVP to james@pennedinthemargins.co.uk.