Emerging Voices from the Wild

Christian Ward
The Judges of Wandle River
A drizzle of midges
acts as judges
to decide what's more
important. The birch
tree with a cleaved off
shoulder or pink nettle
flowers huddled against
the earth. Bells of white
bindweed flowers or fallen
leaves drenched in autumn.
A scimitar-necked heron
or a robin burnt from staring
at a red fox’s sunset coat.
The wedding dress of a white
shopping bag suspended
above the river or the rising,
purifying tide.

Christian Ward is a UK-based writer who can be recently found in Red Ogre Review, Discretionary Love, Stone Poetry Journal, Ginosko Literary Journal and Tipton Poetry Journal.