Philippa Dowding is an award-winning children's author, a poet, marketing copywriter, and musician. Find a sestina, and links to further online poetry below.
Sestina: Restore
Let us shine in the tide and ramble,
on the current, side by side, we begin.
Hold each fragment of us and restore
our shingled voices on the beach.
We murmur in susurration,
embrace our tides of imperfection.
Such a constant shore of imperfection,
each shard brimming in the ramble.
Us, the water murmurs, us, susurration,
fed by stars, auroras falling, we begin
in the roll of currents, cove and beach,
in riptides that rove for swimmers to restore.
Waves break, moon-teased, then restore
the staggered, twinned imperfection
of wandering footsteps on the beach.
Concatenation, a whispered story, a ramble,
we mark the highwater, float and begin.
The water murmurs us, us, su-sur-ration.
Murmuration of birds. Or susurration,
of conch, green glass, potsherds, restore
the splintered, cracked and jagged to begin
their pearled and shining imperfection,
the infinite precision of each roll and ramble,
together, the walkers on the beach.
What but design brings
me to this beach?
To the tide that murmurs us, us, susurration?
Am I witch’s broth or flower as we ramble,
punctual as ever, sea under love? Restore
me with cupped hands, my imperfection,
as restless children leap in the sand and begin.
Here’s the truth: it took me decades to begin
this walk with you upon the beach.
I am only a singer of imperfection,
a listener to the murmur of susurration.
I alone do not restore,
I can only ramble.
Unless with imperfection,
we can begin.
With a peach we’ll
ramble,
singers upon the beach.
Untethered, adored of susurration,
love-shored fragments, we restore.
Below are further links to Philippa's poetry online:
The Literary Review of Canada, Ripple
The Adirondack Review, Then that summer, Daniel
Blue Skies Poetry, Soft Canvas
Best Poem, After
Poems on Philippa's Blog
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