Over the last year Sue Mackrell, like so many others, has sought solace in the natural world. She has also enjoyed time spent writing poetry in the company of a black cat called Harry, re-homed from the RSPCA just before lockdown.
Her work is often influenced by a London-Welsh heritage, but she now lives and works in the East Midlands and her research and writing projects have been funded by the Arts Council, English Heritage, and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Sue’s poems can be seen in many anthologies and journals including: Agenda Poetry, A review of #MeToo (Fairacre Press), Ekphrastic Review, Bloody Amazing (Dragon Yaffle), Diversifly (Fairacre Press) and Please Hear What I’m Not Saying , a poetry collaboration for MIND (Fly on the Wall Poetry).
She has MA in Creative Writing and was a lecturer for several years at Loughborough University. She has also facilitated creative writing workshops in Higher and Further Education, schools, museums, art galleries, hospitals, and with ex offenders.
Lockdown
Time enough for
primrose violet flowers to become seed-heads –
bluebells unfurl ferns uncoil cherry blossom
scatters
in the wind –
rosettes of lilac purple tendrils of honeysuckle twine around
roses blooming and
falling
Time enough
Time enough for
a beak to chip and crack its way to light
elastic mouth agape downy stubs give way to feathers
fluttering on nest edge
flying
Time enough
Time enough for
a jelly ball to develop
tail fins gills vibrating tail
limb buds folded back legs stretching
leaping
Time enough
Time enough for
an egg under a nettle leaf
to hatch into jointed body jaws
pupate into chrysalis skin
splitting wings
emerging –
single butterfly on buddleia
two
then
Red admirals Ringlets Marbled whites Holly blues
Hairstreaks Fritillaries Peacocks
Silver spotted skippers Yellow brimstones Tortoiseshells
Time enough
Sue Mackrell
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