It's lovely, James.  Only I found the last line awkward.  You need a verb or
something, I'm not sure.  I really liked this.
Nancy

-----Original Message-----
From: The Pennine Poetry Works [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of James Bell
Sent: Saturday, 23 November, 2002 8:45 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: New sub: Procession


A rough cut from the note book. C&C welcome .

PROCESSION

By some tacit agreement they all
silently move in procession
from shoreline up the mudbank
and loosely congregate round
and old mooring post among
the marrum (spelt wrong) grass
an evangelical gathering of
white breasts and black heads
a uniformly dressed priesthood
that then stands still and waits
for who knows what in quiet communion
while only a stray honk of dissent
breaks the hush as the wind blows
in off the estuary

even the slow body waddle and plod
of large webbed feet up the bank
is freeze framed - only the trickle
of low tide water not joined in the effect




bw
James