the wren riding on the pink storm outside
kept its footing on the swaying branch
and flicked its tail in the quince blossom hide
as leaf flourished yet in another tranche
none of the raindrops budding underneath
reflected the crimson heaving above
nor did any fall from that unbroken wreath
despite the wren’s motion and the wind’s shove
the bird will be killed by cats the tree felled:-
to be is to be replaced by strangers
or by simulants - what’s not dispelled
is the world’s drive to impose life and danger
on bud chick and foetus - for the wren
to be a wren needs blossom beyond ken
Oxford
30 March 2018
I am fully aware that ” dispel” is not a synonym for ” unspell” or de-spell, in the sense of breaking a spell. The etymology of the former is from the Latin dispellere - to drive apart. But I allow polysemy full play. There is elision on line 12 at ” to impose” so that the “to” predominates. So it should sound like ” tomb-pose”.