Mantis 21 (Summer 2023)
New Poetry
Emma Mooney
Wild Swimming
Lipstick left at home,
no vanity here.
These wild wimmin smash
the looking glass.
Lady Hall
She sits by the fire, stitching the last pocket
onto her white nightdress. It’s a new moon
tonight.
On the beach, blonde curls rush towards her,
bouncing. Small fingers clutch brightly
coloured pebbles.
She must hurry, the stone steps leading
into the sea will soon disappear. The tidal pool
was cut out of the rocks by her husband’s men
as a wedding gift.
She slips a perfectly round, white pebble
into her pocket. The children never arrived.
None of her babies made it to full term.
This is where she came to bathe. After.
Pockets full, she walks, barefoot, into the cold
salt water. The waves tug at the hem of her
nightdress, calling her to join them. A gull
cries in the sky above.
Scottish writer, EMMA MOONEY believes passionately in giving everyone a voice. Her poetry this year has featured, or is upcoming in The Poets’ Republic, MockingOwl Roost, Dreich, Razur Cuts, Soor Ploom Press, Voices for the Silent, Dear Politicians and Poetry Scotland. Earlier this year Emma was honoured to be Makar o the Month for The Scots Language Centre, and she enjoys performing at live events across the central belt of Scotland where she lives. Emma was awarded a master’s with distinction in Creative Writing from the University of Stirling. Check out her work at www.emmamooney.co.uk