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Nirma de Silva – Battle Abbey
Footsteps crunch on gravel.
Words drift like leaves falling —
I try to catch them before they reach the ground,
latching onto fragments, imagining their lives.
Poppies in abundance, a sheep bleats,
cattle graze unknowingly on stained soil.
A thousand years ago
chanting prayers seeped through walls
to mingle with the dawn chorus.
Brisk footsteps on long stone corridors
every step touching, connecting with brokenness
on daily routine to the Chapter House.
Singing reflected off stained glass
built on a foundation of souls,
voices seeking forgiveness.
A stained ground where poppies thrive.
Where I lie
recalling a familiar life:
a drum beat, a horse whine, the clank of armour,
a bugle call bracing for battle.
A field of red stalks, a pond turned dark.
I lurk in shadows
hoping for resurrection.
Children play hide and seek, unknowingly.
Nirma de Silva grew up in Sri Lanka and currently lives in London. Her dual cultural identity influences her writing. She has been a research analyst and school teacher and now indulges in her love of poetry. Her poems reflect on nature, history and loss.
Photograph: Frost Ritual (The Ghosts of Us) by Paul atten Ash
Paul atten Ash is the pseudonym of Bristol-based poet-photographer Paul Nash, whose lens-based artwork has been published by Deep Adaptation Forum, Oscillations, and Where The Meadows Reside. Website: https://campsite.bio/northseanavigator