Featured Poem, ‘Breadth’ by Michael Conley
Breadth
After the air miles
have all unravelled
behind you
and you have settled
into your new country,
visit the coast.
Crouch barefoot
at the shoreline
and lower both hands
into the water
until your fingertips
are eight small sea stacks.
Imagine me
doing the same
until the ocean
that separates us
has become an object
that we are both holding:
a new blue bedsheet
that we are unfolding
together in your room.
Watch the waves
bunching dutifully
about your ankles:
each one is an echo
of my beckoning
arms
Michael Conley is a 27 year old teacher from Manchester. He is currently in the final year of an MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. He has been published in a variety of magazines, including Cadaverine, Sentinel, Bewilderbliss and Words Dance. Favourite writers and influences include Kurt Vonnegut, Selima Hill, Elizabeth Bishop and John Berryman.
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Tags: advice for young writers, feature, featured poem, featured poet, new writers, poem, poems, poetry, poets, publication, resources for young writers, writing
May 1st, 2012 at 12:51 pm
This is bloody lovely!
May 1st, 2012 at 8:30 pm
Beautiful. Michael Conley! And in its breadth is an almighty power! One amazing Bed sheet.
May 4th, 2012 at 11:41 pm
I really loved this poem. It gave me a great sense of feeling like no one is ever that far apart from someone, and even the most personal or commonplace actions can connect us with someone else in a way we wouldn’t first imagine. Small, seemingly inconsequential things can bring two people together.
May 5th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Folks, thanks for your comments and sorry for taking so long to moderate them. I agree — Michael is one of my favourite up and coming British poets. Keep an eye out for him in the future!