ODE TO THE LAND OF GORSE
ODE TO THE LAND OF GORSE: A LOVE LOST IN TRANSIENCE
“Breaking through the indigo night sky
the cadmium yellow gorse flower
arrives unannounced
to herald the arrival of spring.
She holds no subtle secrets
as she gazes out across
the cold tin-white dew
washed up on the scattered shoreline.
A cacophony of gulls
watch with jilted stares
as the gorse flower commands
the attention of the sun -
to warm her prickly arrogance
in preparation for final combat
with the last shadow of winter.
And, as the evening light
rests upon the glazed grey
Atlantic swirl,
tails of sea kelp
creep toward
the stunted shaly-shore.
Gorse and kelp behold each other’s worth
and, just for a moment,
they rest in each other’s splendour.
As dusk greets darkness
with notes of woody almond nectar,
kelp now dances alone
amidst salt crystals of luminous light.
All that remains are pebbles
battling for expression
against
rock,
earth,
stone
and sand.”
Prose written by Anna King to accompany a dish of ‘Gorse Flower and Sugar Kelp Cream’ (by Chef Martin Ruffley) in ‘Rekindling the Fire: Food and The Journey of Life’ (p35). Published by Austin Macauley 2022.
Gorse Flowers, by Anna King