A crow breaks from the oak
Canopy, pecks at dried-out
wet-wipes and
picnic-remains. A woman in
Half Moon Pose, her small dogs
beside her. Her hair matches
the dry long grass through
which the warm wind
pushes toward me
the black butterflies.

Giles Goodland was born in Taunton, was educated at the universities of Wales and California, took a D. Phil at Oxford, has published several books of poetry including A Spy in the House of Years (Leviathan, 2001) Capital (Salt, 2006), Dumb Messengers (Salt, 2012) and The Masses (Shearsman, 2018).

He has worked as a lexicographer, editor, and bookseller, and teaches evening classes on poetry for Oxford University’s department of continuing education, and lives in West London.