Aphelion Issue 292, Volume 28
March 2024
 
Editorial    
Long Fiction and Serials
Short Stories
Flash Fiction
Poetry
Features
Series
Archives
Submission Guidelines
Contact Us
Forum
Flash Writing Challenge
Forum
Dan's Promo Page
   

Extra Galactic Polarisation explained to Gardeners

by John Alwyine-Mosely


Once all the gardens,
small ones on balconies
looking on to brick and slate,
big ones with lakes
where trees stand and admire,
were in a tiny, tiny seed.

They wriggled and waggled
trying to be friends with worms
and blackbirds who sang,
as flowers danced in bells
or gloves wearing just scent,
until the tiny, tiny seed went

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Then each garden,
small ones with gnomes,
big ones with cantering deer,
pushed and rushed to be first
but the finishing line ran quicker
pulled on by big twisted rubber bands
until gardens went so fast-
birds flapped,
flowers nodded,
worms stole wriggles-
that they got very, very hot
and anywhere.

No garden knew that
because How-we-see
was the last to leave
and too shy to push past
so it stayed dark like
the back of a wardrobe
with coats around your ears.

Poor How-we-see cried
and cried so much
that it made the gardens,
small ones with pots and a wall,
big ones with ride on mowers,
get cold and dance to keep warm.

How-we-see ran in front
but tripped over the rubber bands
breaking them so all the gardens
stopped at the finish line
blinded by the colour of a summer's day.

Now when gardens get dug,
small ones with a trowel,
big ones with a tractor,
you can still find the mist of How-we-see tears.
And some times
when blackbirds are quiet
and worms don't wriggle
you'll find the bounce of old rubber bands.


© 2015 John Alwyine-Mosely

John Alwyine-Mosely's poetry is eclectic (meaning "what's a genre again?"), drawing on a range of subjects and styles. His most recent poems were published in York Mix; Stare's Nest; Nutshells and Nuggets; Ink, Sweat and Tears; and Clear Poetry

Find more by John Alwyine-Mosely in the Author Index.

Comment on this story in the Aphelion Forum

Return to Aphelion's Index page.