Poems By Imogen Cunningham

Ekphrastic Poem (picture poem) Graffiti scrawls across Crumbling cement walls Rubbish litters the slick pavement Where feet tap And snow falls Harsh white light filters from the shop fronts Setting the streets in sharp shadow and light Oily reflections show Growling metal monsters Bright red lights And confusions of colour The city the nest We are the ants Sight – Cars, smoke, lights, buildings, graffiti, old, feet, trees, darkness, smoke, shadows, people, smog, umbrellas, snow, misty breath, roads, rubbish, pavement, stones, leaves, orange light, shop displays, red light, white light, Sound – growling engines, tyres, feet against pavement, car horns, harsh breathing, people talking, laughing, birdcall, owls, heavy breathing, feet tapping, Touch – cold, warm jumper, worn shoes, chill, sharp, ice, trip, closed eyes, wooden door, slowly, breeze, wind, snow, Smell – fumes, food, petrol, rubbish, sharp, breath, musty, Thought / Emotions – home, warmth, cold, sad, longing, tired, Taste – food, cold, sharp

So Much Depends Upon… So much depends upon The scratched wooden desk That bears the weight of identities Engraved upon its back So much depends upon The old paintbrush From which imagination pours Beside the confident hand So much depends upon The dirty green bag Straps worn Zipper broken Supported by strong shoulders

Haiku Paint the ground red Crackling fire underfoot The autumn leaf Animal river Chasing swirling gurgles Racing to meet the sea

Personification The Phone Singing desperately From its cradle on the counter Please someone take My urgent message The Fridge Heart as cold as ice Shivering in the corner Greedy mouth opens wide Accepting any offer