watch the current shine.

Here's a favourite James Fenton poem, taken from his 1993 pictured collection:


Fireflies of the Sea

Dip you hand in the water.
Watch the current shine.
See the blaze trail from your fingers,
Trail from your fingers,
Trail from mine.
There are fireflies on the island
And they cluster in one tree
And in the coral shallows
There are fireflies of the sea.

Look at the stars reflected
Now the sea is calm
And the phosphorus exploding,
Flashing like a starburst
When you stretch your arm.
When you reach down in the water
It’s like reaching up to a tree,
To a tree clustered with fireflies,
Fireflies of the sea.

Dip your hand in the water.
Watch the current shine.
See the blaze trail from your fingers,
Trail from your fingers,
Trail from mine
As you reach down in the water,
As you turn away from me,
As you gaze down at the coral
And the fireflies of the sea.

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James Fenton (1949 - )

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