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Poetry on Friday – Late by Christopher Reid

Posted on 15. Jan, 2010 by Rachael in Books, Poetry

Christopher Reid’s touchingly beautiful tribute to his late wife recently won a Costa Book Award in the ‘Poetry’ category. A Scattering is made up of four sequences and covers the heartbreak of watching his beloved wife die and his life afterwards.

Rather than being morose, I’ve found that these poems ooze with adoration and tell a tale in retrospect of a marriage that was filled with love and respect.

Late by ChristopherReid

Late home one night, I found

she was not yet home herself.

So I got into bed and waited

under my blanket mound,

until I heard her come in

and hurry upstairs.

My back was to the door.

Without turning round,

I greeted her, but my voice

made only a hollow, parched-throated

k-, k-, k- sound,

which I could not convert into words

and which, anyway, lacked

the force to carry.

Nonplussed, but not distraught,

I listened to her undress,

then sidle along the far side

of our bed and lift the covers.

Of course, I’d forgotten she’d died.

Adjusting my arm for the usual

cuddle and caress,

I felt mattress and bedboards

welcome her weight

as she rolled and settled towards me,

but, before I caught her,

it was already too late

and she’d wisped clean away.

Tags: A Scattering, Christopher Reid, love, poetry, poetry on Friday

Rachael Holden

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Rachael - has written 29 posts on Sparkle in my life. Contact the author

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