Reading Laying the Fire, Andrew Motion
My father managed
logs and ash
on chilled mornings
in the suburbs
scraping
the fire place clean
with a soft brush
and shovel
fit for purpose.
He swept carefully
holding his breath
so as not to breathe
the inevitable
delicate dust
of yesterday’s briquettes
and wood.
And when done
he held up a sheet
of newsprint
in front of the new
meticulous pile
of twigs and paper,
willing a new day’s
fire to spark and catch.
He was confident
in this manly practice—
knew the ropes.
But any familial hopes
he had about certitude
peace or quiet
were burnt most days
as small domestic
catastrophes
rose in flames,
leaving nothing
but grey ash.
Simeon Kronenberg has published poetry, reviews, interviews and essays in Australian poetry journals and anthologies. He has also published widely on the contemporary visual arts. Distance, his first poetry collection, was launched in June 2018.
