Abandoned Space: The Police Station
There is a riot beyond the chain-link fence
bedding is scattered wildly about
and the Sting, planned carefully
by Nettle is out of control.
Lassoing summer’s cold blue moon
a Climber has gained the perimeter—
wraps the barred windows about
with trumpeting billows.
They catch on hidden barbs like mouths,
warning shadows that leap and fall
of careless sprites around
the rockery and wall.
The Pond, who took no active part
reclines unmoved, but just now
her face caught a trick
of the light.
It beats on the dark glass, chilling
smoky Woodbine curling up,
and Ivy turns to drink
her poisoned cup.
Marguerite Doyle is from Dublin, Ireland and is interested in exploring her native city and its surroundings as the poetic space. She likes to bring imagination to her work and to see things from different perspectives. Marguerite graduated with an M.A. in Creative Writing from Dublin City University in 2020. As well as being published in Vallum: Contemporary Poetry, since graduation Marguerite’s work has appeared in Third Wednesday, Vita Brevis (Editor’s Choice Award), The New Welsh Review’s New Welsh Reader, Reliquiae Journal and Rue Scribe. Marguerite’s work was recently selected for inclusion in The Ireland Chair of Poetry Special Commemorative Anthology Hold Open the Door, which marks the 25th anniversary of Seamus Heaney’s being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
This poem was originally published in Vallum issue 17:2. To view other content published in this issue, look here.
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Vallum: Contemporary Poetry 