Sarah Wallis

index: (winter fragment)

Hinge of the year. Frost in the air. ‘Nipping at toes’. (Incorrect citation, needs work, link, see, Nat King Cole’s nose.) The snow and roses world piles in atop the real, a blizzard of petals that danced in Spring, masks a Winter dream, become Orphic magic, musical and euphoric, a tremble of ice bells, melodic strings conjure a show — dressed for spectacle — and apples roll downhill in waves, stray seagulls wear faces, fill up a painted room by Magritte asking — will the great blowsy wild pink rose still be as perfumed — the great giant green apple, still taste as sweet, in snow? (Back, citation needed, Magritte etc., do better, back.) (Forward, later assignment.) Early lupin scent from the glasshouse, grape soda, (see, sparkle waters, fountain, Americana, American retro, etc.) patchouli, (crystals and woo woo —unkind manner — do better, please, do better,) (back, back) not lupine scent (lupins are cottagecore, late mix, The Gardener’s Song,) (woodsy, of wolf, little miss red cloak in the woods — see, mushroom — non poisonous/ poisonous, vital fatal if ingested, Fly Agaric, Death Cap, Funeral Bell — someone’s got a sense of humour). (If unsure DO. NOT. EAT.) (Back.) Backwards to Autumn. Or/ or is it... Onwards - to Spring. ? .

Sarah Wallis is a writer living on the East Coast of Scotland, UK. Her latest chapbook, ‘Poet Seabird Island’, is available from Boats Against the Current. 2023 included poem art at Osmosis, podcasting with Eat the Storms and a winning story at The Welkin. Recent work is at Propel, in both digital and audio versions, Dust and Full Mood. 

Sarah wrote the following about her poem:

This piece was written as part of a larger experimental work, which covers all the seasons, and came from an interest in looking at ‘hinge times’; the cusp of moving from one year to another, one season to another. Also I love Magritte! Opposing voices within a piece of writing is probably due to my playwriting background and the note of impatience from the grounding editor voice is something that became more prevalent over time, bringing the unreliable poetic voice back from a flight of fancy and fun spiralling word association to invoke a ‘correct citation needed’ in a tone that suggests it better be right, ‘nipping at toes’ indeed, oh dear, definitely needing putting right.