Richard Castles: ‘If I Could Write a Poem’

Richard Castles: ‘If I Could Write a Poem’If I Could Write a PoemIf I could write a poemIt would open with a cloudA wild splash of daffodilsBy lake and glade bee-loudIf I could write a poemI would pour a starry skyO’er a snow-iced cottageIn a wood where owlets cryI’d write my poem gazingThrough a liquid window paneWhere tilted in the gardenA red barrow glazed with rainAt night the darken’d casementWould frame the dying wickOf poet bowed and waitingFor his blackberries to pickRadio speaking horrorsSprayed parabolas of bloodIf I could write a poemThere’d be no Flanders mudI’d write a lark ascendingIn a temperate summer breezeAn albatross undauntedBy spray-swept wild seasIf I could write a poemThere’d be trout in sparkling streamsThese waterfalls, these mountainsIn my pleasure dome of dreams. Richard Castles