Four Superb Poems by Tobi Alfier

 

Erected by James MacDonald, Loving Husband

Come sit here beside me
skin lit, a candle
on alabaster, small gold rings
draw my eyes to your neck
your pulse beating, hands still.

It has always been like
the first time. The first kiss,
first lovemaking, first
child. The children.

Your smile never died,
even as we both grew older,
less able to sway with the wind
of disappointments and sadnesses.

I still see you in your
wedding veil, the one
our daughters also wore, being
both poor in material riches
and also superstitious.

I drink to you in the glass
you loved so well - the sun
piercing reddened shadows
on the wall above your empty chair.

My heart. It will not be long
until we dance again,
eyes bright,
fingers straight and sure.
'Til we marvel at the golden
blossoms along emerald hills
and what takes the place of sky.
Save a place for me.
I will not find another.

The Coincidence of Castles

stone by stone
a fortress
stacked with grace

through bloodied seasons

the smell of peat
the smoke of dreams
forgotten, remembered
no one is let down

a row of red brick
level above the window
plaster ceiling chunking down

on uneven hidden stairs

surround yourself with sages
of all burning hues

look to the eventuality of
lavender and daffodils

sweetness and armor
as long as I've loved you

I have roamed this place
six centuries and more

The Sorceress of Galway Bay

She feels music in her body
graceful as a thousand ships
set off to sail she rocks gently,
toe tapping, sometimes heel
striking exclamations in a
sad lament or spirited reel.

Her face, calm as sea birds gliding
in an updraft, pale against
the blues and grays; so her
lace scarf sits about her neck.
And when she sings she looks
at everyone, just a fraction

of connection.  Men remember how
they used to crave their wives-
8th notes flutter, cheeks turn pink,
pearl buttons on a concertina
make promises to surely be kept
before this sweet night sleeps.

Evening of Island Grace

 

The moon owns the harbor tonight.

I carry it large and bright in my mind

 

as I drift up the headlands to have

a lover’s view. The tranquil quiet

 

of sleeping vessels—by day they perform

all sorts of feats, from fishing, to rescue,

 

to the connection of families, some

long away and some only to the mainland

 

for the dentist and a pint. Now the calm skiffs

and trawlers, tugs and ferries sleep

 

in a sanctuary lodged firmly in my heart.

The rusted mooring rings embedded in the quay

 

are part of me. I dream the silvered splash

of night time life we never see, watch the gentle

 

call from one bird to its mate, his brilliant red

invisible in blackened sky, smell the ovens

 

planning for a morning of toast and tea.

I am alone in the hours before breaking light

 

but have never been so full—my arms wrap around

the chorus of ocean. It sings my heart shoreward.

All poems have been previously published and are in Tobi's book, “The Coincidence of Castles”. It was published in 2014 by Glass Lyre Press under her old name “Tobi Cogswell”.

Tobi Alfier is well-published nationally and internationally. Credits include War, Literature and the Arts, The American Journal of Poetry, KGB Bar Lit Mag, Cholla Needles, Galway Review, The Ogham Stone, Permafrost, Gargoyle, Arkansas Review, and others.  She is co-editor of San Pedro River Review (www.bluehorsepress.com).