Home From School

Home from School A little stream by the village bridge. Clear cold water over jagged stones searched for pieces of china in the mud as we meandered slowly home. Once-treasured patterns and bits of bones and a black eel,rolling wave,burrowing far. We sucked sweet nectar from fuchsia flowers on our way home from school Sometimes on lazy summer days, When the workmen were on the road, We pressed our toes in black tar bubbles, And an asphalt oily smell, followed us home A robin's nest was a sacred find purple foxglove,waving our fairy hands a homemade doll,yellow plaited straw treasures home from school Off for milk to Twomey's farm, huge cow-beasts, dirty, with leather-silk skin in September our berry purple mouths a juicy feast all the way home