– suggested by local poet Victoria Gatehouse
June has arrived with its promise of warm weather (fingers crossed) and many of us start to think about holidays. I love the sense of movement and sensual detail in this month’s seaside poem and know, from speaking with the author, Bob Horne, that it’s as much about growing up and self-discovery as it is about swimming.
The Raft
That summer I was strong enough
to swim out, haul myself from the water
on to the black wooden boards
as the tide smacked its sides.
From harbour to headland
chalk-cliff to shoreline
summer colour covered the sands,
spilled into the fringes of the sea.
I turned by back on the shallows
busy with the clamour of paddlers,
swayed on the ups and downs of waves
reeling in through grey-green emptiness,
balanced on the raft, still not adrift
but out of my depth, loving it.
Taken from Knowing My Place, published by Calder Valley Press.
Bob Horne founded the ward-winning Calder Valley Press in 2018, publishing books by talented local poets. Bob is also co-organiser of the wonderful ‘Puzzle Poets’ spoken word night at The Navigation pub in Sowerby Bridge. I’m looking forward to reading there myself on 1st July. Knowing my Place is Bob’s first collection. More about Bob and Calder Valley Press can be found here https://caldervalleypoetry.com/about/