D A V I D B E R R I D G E
_______________________________ROUGH COPPICE
To appeal as a ruin garden needs good signage
a very long garden as long as a piece of string
although for weeds time is always enough
in old photographs it is so bare and empty
no garden is longer such is my pride and greed
vocal confession and purpose to amend in intergritye
I'll need also to arrange fine weather
make out each word in the cold night everyone's coat stuffed
with rose bush cuttings from my locus amoenus
not the label on my neck a stylised leaf itch
garden of stolen temple stones
not a lavender bush rustling in the wind
only the gardeners memoirs to await
a man in the dark home from work
has taken off his jacket rolled up his sleeves
trains in the distance raise house values
in which he is still a child
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