I
Derby, England, 1988

My father's hands wake and lift me
Darkly down the stairs and out
Onto wet grass.
A powercut has painted black the factories
And brought back the stars.
For the first time, I see the Milky Way.
In the morning I know the matt blue sky
Is only a fraud.

II
Tobago, West Indies, 2002
The ocean teems.
I forget Paris, London, New York
As the dense blue beats around me
Like a giant whale-heart:
There is more life here than any city.
Two hundred fair-sized squid
Hover and encircle me like little space-craft.
Of course, I knew they were propelled by
The rippling of a supple frill;
But now I'd seen.
I laughed bubbles through the plastic tube and
They scattered,
Reminding me exactly who was the alien.

III
Bristol, England, 2003
Again we sit in the dark car looking out.
Again everything useful's been said;
But we each have silences we need to be heard.
Looking over, I think
So beautiful, even when you're trying to hide it.
I force a lid down on a smile.