North Country

Shoe size: small — not a child’s
a steady gait into the woods
in this country the seasons are clear
the tracks lead to a stranger

nothing is spared in late November
she’s sitting still by a frozen river
no drama in death — it’s everywhere
a meeting in perfect time

come a little closer to feel her heartbeat
a shadow persisting — a dullened sting
no one mourns a fallen leaf
she seems to focus beyond the river

Winter here is an endless soul
her features blur in a passing flurry
she might be mourning a distant lover
or simply waiting for Spring

Scott Elder lives in Auvergne, France. His work has been published on both sides of the Atlantic, placed or commended in numerous competitions in the UK and Ireland, and shortlisted in the Bridport, Fish, Plough, Aesthetica and Troubadour Prizes. His second collection Maria was published by Erbacce Press in 2023. A third entitled My Hotel is due in 2025 by Salmon Poetry.