Evening in Brooke Road

Everything swoops and curves
even the line of washed whites
swoops from the first floor window
down to the fence
martins above the roofs
swooping and fluttering
flying to feed
girl child runs down the steps
in a cloud of turmeric smell
black hair in loops
Everything flutters curves and swoops
except those long-nosed planes
that come every four minutes
straight and grey.

Mary Michaels Mary Michaels lives in London.This poem is taken from her most recent poetry collection The Shape of the Rock (Sea Cow, London 2003).

This poem is taken from her most recent poetry collection The Shape of the Rock (Sea Cow, London 2003).