I have a New Poem Published in December’s issue of Reach Poetry Indigo Dreams its “December’s Last Canvass

December’s Last Canvass

The sky was an arc of grey splashed by blue:
pink stems firing upward along this canvass,
painted remnants of a low sun now set;
prefiguring night that was falling above

the hedges, green fields, skeleton trees
that once had borne crowns of green leaves
when the days were long, now in nakedness
expose sinews of their growth against this close. 

We were speeding back in the red car
from the walled city’s twisted, cobbled lanes,
steps we’d climbed to medieval shops tucking
themselves into walkways hung above Shambles;

shops shining from the arches melting down
to cobbles, the ancient squares, streets strung
with white lights to celebrate Christmas – now
on this New Year’s Eve echo past celebrations.

We had felt the laughter of children and the tale
told by Dickens “Oliver Twist” to a new generation
in Chester’s theatre. They sit behind me
questioning the story, content as the closing day.

Carolyn O’Connell©