One Day, by Paul Waring

Christina's World, by Andrew Wyeth (USA). 1948.

One Day

Ours was the house ahead,
grey shell, shadow of itself
alone in a corner on the edge
of this jaundiced landscape. 

They say it’s terminal: it shows
in pain-etched face, eyes 
weary of light, spent lungs 
of rooms inside abandoned 

core of a body that once echoed
life into underground roots - 
until everything starved. 
Nobody knows what drained

colour and left so little; spring-
summer air empty of flower-scent
infusion and insect hum;
unexplained absence of people, 

pets, animals, trees - mystery
of where birds go to make
song. It draws me back to lie,
ear to the earth, and listen 

for heartbeat, sensing one day
I will witness you, weather-beaten, 
fall and break into crumbs, merge 
into the endless ordinary.

Paul Waring

Paul Waring is a retired clinical psychologist who once designed menswear and was a singer/songwriter in several Liverpool bands. His poetry has appeared or is forthcoming at Clear Poetry, Prole, The Open Mouse, Amaryllis, Three Drops from a Cauldron, Eunoia Review, Anapest, Reach Poetry, Rat’s Ass Review, Foxglove Journal and many others.

His blog is https://waringwords.wordpress.com