Torsade Literary Space Snares: Fifth Allied Forces
The Folly
Allied Forces
Snares
The woodland affords the falcon—
Where hedgish undergrowth shoots in voluntary tangle
augmented year by year from half-digestions
spat or shat by avian lodgers, nesting
a thicket permitted by the landowner
(Said to be the blighted Rory Tebbs)
to wax untrimmed
Has wove itself a Briar Rose’s castle
of clinging burs, of stabbing spines and thorns
Good for the grousing, good for the pheasanting
Good for whatever sport…as God alone can fathom, might appeal…
(To such people!)
Yet a worthy poacher stealthily has carved
away the lowest growth athwart a trickle
unable to decide if it be brook or spring
And hidden where success may favour him
are his snares… Falco trips them each
The woodland affords the falcon cover
and his spyglass scopes the undulous terrain
and his patience feeds on the contents of a Crispo tin
Dusk will do
Falco is a famous man; he is on society’s lips
The spellbindings of rumour weave beyond
Such nets as governments may knit
The Milburne is not clever
Yet like others, who will make no plea to expiate their guilt
She may be found as she deserves being left
Where is that? His mind falls into trance
(And what this trance invites, if he could guess!)
It lies far from coincidence
‘A thing like this…if it’s not against the law, I can’t see why!
What does she mean, using our names! That Miss Keltenham.
Her magazine’s nothing but sedition. She says if there’s war…
Here. And there, her picture. See the hair!
That wasn’t taken anytime too recent. If there’s war…here, Teresa…
the women ought to go, and the men stay at home!’
His mother said (nothing to this proposal): ‘Parish records. Or
something printed in the newspapers. They do print them, the deed polls.
And Thomas, when the army let him go, they printed that.
Miss Keltenham has not realised it matters. She thinks
it’s like pulling names out of a hat.’
Snares
Approachable: Sixth Allied Forces
(2021, Stephanie Foster)