up in the far north, the setting sun’s gaze
fleck Nubian water’s glistening haze
the sound of weary train slowing
fresh water flowing
hot steam pipe blowing
the smell of overspill oil
donkey rich soil
exhausting fume gush
hot platform crush
where boy traders now rush
gold wearing women, men flowing in white
to buy bread, eggs, and dates to eat in the night
western wet valley, autumnal high noon
soft rain cloud playing, mist and wind croon
the sound of car tyres yearning
Wye water churning
snorting horse turning
the smell of thin chimney smoke
thick hedgerow soak
bare nettle outcrop
Post Office shop
where old men and girls stop
for pension or stamp, milk, cheese, meat at back
crisps, cake and fresh bread by newspaper rack
Nkubu mountain, coffee tree morning
polished teak rhino, Meru earth yawning
the sound of church time bell praying
breakfast plate laying
Borodin playing
the smell of forlorn looking cow
chameleon bough
strong ivory tea
BBC tree where three young children see
old women bent low, bananas on back
walk hunched and sweating up landrover track
tea time Terengganu, hot lightning scar sky
surf battering coast when thunder rolls by
the sound of misty roof sighing
humid frogs crying
pregnant drain flying
the smell of soft salt from the sea
pruned mango breeze tree,
wet wood and concrete
old town main street
where Malay women greet
the cleaning relief, the cooling new air
with skirts raised discreetly, stepping with care
a weekend midday on the Hauts Plateaux
blazing grit sandstorm, wind chill factor snow
the sound of finger typewriting
gas cooker lighting
chess game infighting
the smell of hot body sardine
bare bathroom bleach clean
in grain wool floor mat
socialist flat where two schoolteachers chat
of sister-in-law/wife, and seeing her
in Cambridgeshire at the end of the year
