A Burst of Blue by Emma Lee

Graveyards are expected to be quiet,
somewhere to pay respects.
This hillside in Heptonstall
mostly achieves that. A bench
gives a view of headstones in lines.
The grass has not been cut
but some individual graves are tended.
A light breeze counters the humidity.
There's no map of names.
One has a burst of speedwell,
fidelity, where bees gather nectar.
Even her death is busy with life.

---

Emma Lee’s recent collection is “Ghosts in the Desert” (IDP, UK 2015). “The Significance of a Dress” is forthcoming from Arachne (UK). She co-edited “Over Land, Over Sea,” (Five Leaves, UK, 2015), reviews for The Blue Nib, High Window Journal, The Journal, London Grip, Sabotage Reviews and blogs at http://emmalee1.wordpress.com.

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