Frances Boyle : Stringing (for Pearl Pirie,

from Report from the Pirie Society, Vol. 1 No. 1

 

 

 

 

Sewn into garments for fortune,
ocean is the mother. Syllables

and beats build, take on the mouth-
feel of colours revealed bit by bit,

like jawbreaker candy. Overtones
and undertones―rose-gold, mussel-

amethyst. Coats of nacre absorb
light and reflect it, mirroring surf

and ancient creatures’ scuttle.
Track scratched footmarks in margins

alongside, marking layer upon
layer. Accretion of vivid sound

over irksome grit. Precision
work – the knotting onto silk

threads nubbed together, breath
between each lustrous orb.

 

 

 

 

Frances Boyle is the author, most recently, of Openwork and Limestone (Frontenac House 2022). In addition to two other poetry books and several chapbooks, her publications include Tower, a novella (Fish Gotta Swim Editions, 2018), Seeking Shade , an award-winning short story collection (The Porcupine’s Quill, 2020) and Skin Hunger, a forthcoming novel. Frances got to know Pearl when they were both members of the Ruby Tuesday writing group and has admired her and her writing ever since.