Dear Derek Jarman

—I understand your drive to set down roots,
—You said it was too late to plant a garden but you did it.
—I planted out a wheelbarrow,
—You should have seen it. It was full of chroma.
—It is portable but perennial,
—how I’m trying to be.

—I bought some cornflower seeds in the poundshop
—to plant in the edges with the floss flower
—aster, blue campanula and sea holly.
—I hope the sea holly takes well to the sea air,
—otherwise it’s lying, I’ll
—cut it out of the border,
—and out of my life.
—I planned everything BLUE in honour of you,
—Blue like your Blue film.

—You’ve taught me so much about chroma
—and gardening,
—I wanted it to be perfect,
—but nothing is turning out like I’d hoped.
—There’s a weed creeping over everything.

Dear Derek Jarman

—I should have known it was you
—The weed opened this week:
—forget-me-not,
—Blue.

*
From Magma 89, Grassroots 

 

Buy this issue for £8.50 in UK (including P&P) »Buy Now