Waiting
Now is the valley's darkest time,
a time for tunnelling in, for hunkering down,
when parchment sky's cross-hatched by slats of rain
and trees' veined shapes are etched in monochrome.
October bronze has turned has turned to dun
on Rhiwbren's hill. Bracken sags to rust
through morning dank of mist or mould of frost,
while sombre ranks of woods obscure the sun.
Sap sinks, twigs brittle and pared
as your frail bones in your hospital bed.
With your hair on end, your bare chest wired
exposed and helpless as a baby bird.
So long you've waited for the surgeon's art
to uncongeal the blood and heal the heart.