In the season when crocuses - Poem

Literary Review, Wntr, 2002 by Aonghas MacNeacail

in the season when crocuses

   in the season when crocuses
   raise peaceful spears of colour
   and the doves still
   peck at old bread
   and always the anguished faces
   dumb, in the ravenous windows of televisions
   indifferent to the eyes watching them
   through those voracious windows
   and the eyes are ground smooth
   being so used to the pitiful scenes
   and the stock-market reports
   and the hit-parades
   and the burdensome days of princes
   and footballs in orbit,
   the doves are so glutted they cannot move
   with the kindness of old women
   and see the crocus opening
   a cup of hope,
   but wait fill it fills--is it
   wine, is it blood

Aonghas MacNeacail is a native of Skye and presently lives in Peeblesshire. His poetry collection Oideachadh Ceart agus dain eile/ A Proper Schooling and other poems won The Stakis Prize for Scottish Writer of the Year in 1997. He has published several other collections of poetry, including imaginary wounds, sireadh bradain sicir/ seeking wise salmon, and an cathadh mor/the great snowbattle.