Birdsong

A poem about my parents' house

White light bounces back at me From metal trains beyond the fence Their rhythm punctured by birdsong As it was before you went.

Trees are veins for winters corpse The ice will crack before they bloom New colour in the leaves and earth The yellow sun will fill your room.

Laughter in the empty halls Secrets shared with friends My hallowed haunted sanctuary Is still here when it ends

Silence now where there were voices Cossetting like cotton dreams A carousel of monuments Where my life with you has been.