<iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-K3L4M3" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden">

Poems

One Afternoon

14 August 2014

1:00 PM

14 August 2014

1:00 PM

In Aljezur we took a walk
And paused above the river where,
Among the rushes, swifts and fish,
We saw a water-snake drink the air
Before the reptile rippled back
And watched until an azure flash
Flew from the bridge to walnut tree,
A kingfisher in sudden flight,
A memorised epiphany
Almost before it came and went,
Electric blue and heaven-sent,
To fish and feed downriver where
The sailing vessels once had moved
Beside the town of Aljezur.












Already a subscriber? Log in

Subscribe for just $2 a week

Try a month of The Spectator Australia absolutely free and without commitment. Not only that but – if you choose to continue – you’ll pay just $2 a week for your first year.

  • Unlimited access to spectator.com.au and app
  • The weekly edition on the Spectator Australia app
  • Spectator podcasts and newsletters
  • Full access to spectator.co.uk
Or

Unlock this article

REGISTER


Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator Australia readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Close