Surface Poem Trilogy 1: the Physical

Today we have the first of three poems that make up the Surface trilogy.

All three poems appeared in the Autumn etips, and this first one will also be published in the Tips for Writers magazine. All are available from the Norfolk poets website.

Thanks to Wendy Webb and the Norfolk poets for publishing them and allowing their use here as well.

Trilogy Explanation

The idea for the trilogy kind of came to me one sunny day that seems like a long time ago, but was in fact early this summer; the same summer we are still in, but the good weather seems a long time ago!

The idea for this first poem came to me while I walked in nature, and then I thought of doing the surface of humanity, and then further into the abstract with myths to complete a trilogy.

I hope it works for you and you enjoy it.

The Poem Explanation

The Surface poem just tells the story of what animals you may see at different height and depth levels either side of the surface; starting with the highest flyers above it in the top half of the poem and working down to the surface in the middle, and then working down from the surface/middle to the lowest depths of the oceans in the bottom half.

Poem Structure

The poem mirrors in words per line either side of the middle:
8-7-6-5-4-6-8-7-6-2 (6) 2-6-7-8-6-4-5-6-7-8

There is a full stop in the same place in each half: at the end of the fifth from the outer.

The capital letters don’t mirror exactly though, with the top half one six lines from the outer and the bottom one four lines from the outer.

The Poem

Surface Trilogy: the Physical

eagles and vultures soar majestically at high altitude
crows and kingfishers fly without such attitude
sometimes level with squirrels and possums
scampering along branches of blossoms
under the summer sunshine.
Upon colourful flowers and new leaves
dragon and damsel flies look the bee’s knees
fawns and lambs frolic in the sun
new life abounds at every turn
above the

surface of water and land, which

give cover
for species living under the ether
moles and hares hide below the weather
worms and ants create worlds that can hark
back to cave civilisations from dark
ages lost before enlightenment.
Brighter oceans with coral display
mandarins and angels seem to play
above sharks and rays that gracefully glide
but fangtooths and vipers were born to hide