I swam the pavement straits
to be cradled in the sacristal lay
of your curling sleeplessness
furtive strokes between pontoons
of concertinaed cars in early hours
glass beads that paced anxious steps
of drizzled rainbows on cresting roads
each night in beacon times guided
embraced by window frames
strong enough then to lift myself
through return journeys
until the verdigris signal failed
stalled to breathe slipping on tram lines
hands in the air unable to inhale
the sounds of your forgiveness
Published in Unstill Mosaics The Book of Love, Loss, and Longing 2019
James Walton Poetry 