Apricot Press

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Goldfinch Nest

By Catherine Glavina

After Dead Bird - Olga Dermott-Bond

I gathered moss for you, wove bark and willow-down
within the slender branches of the tree. Say you like it,
say you trust the crafting of the frame. Then the cradle,
leaf-pressed comfort hollowed to a cup-shaped mould.
To line inside, to keep our offspring warm, I crosshatched
open land where greens and browns abound and found
a ghost-grey drift of thistle down, mists of milkweed floss,
free-falling dandelion tufts. Will those be warm enough?
It looks as if a breath of air, a wisp of cloud will tip
it to the ground but tensile threads of spider silk will take
the strain. Not fragile. Tent-peg strong. These will hold
against a season storm. Tell me you’re impressed. Tell me
we can place our hope in nuances of blue, in flecks of red.

Audio recording of ‘Goldfinch Nest’, written and read by Catherine Glavina

Catherine Glavina

Catherine is a retired teacher and university tutor, dedicated to promoting the enjoyment of reading to young children, especially poetry. She grew up in the north-east of England and now lives in Warwickshire. She enjoys writing about the natural world. Plants, animals and a sense of place feature strongly in her poetry which has been published with Littoral Press, The Passionfruit Review, Dream Catcher and Allegro.