A Poem by Alan Buckley

Pendant

An ounce of silver, reclaimed
from an antique mirror’s back,

becomes a little frame, with
a spindle top to bottom,

on which sits a small gold disc
(a broken chain melted down).

Old, unwanted things transformed:
now it’s a window, through which

the sun pours itself, filling
the room with light; now a first

pulsing nestled in the womb,
tiny, but equally bright.

Alan Buckley is the author of two poetry pamphlets and the full collection Touched (HappenStance 2020); his second collection, Still, will be published by Blue Diode Press this summer. His poems have won or been commended in a number of competitions, including the Forward and Bridport prizes. He has taught creative writing to young people with both First Story and Arvon.