UK Poet, Philosopher & Artist Ivor Griffiths' Official Website

The Fossil Gatherer a poem by Ivor Griffiths

Fossil Gatherer

Propping up rusty railings by the shore – listening -
between eyelashes I saw flapping, it sounded like applause.

A skeletal osprey limped along cracked hot granite,

eyeing a red crab drowning in sunshine.

The crab was crunched — then wriggled.
Oscillating sine waves tickled the air,

a spider drowned in a bucket

next to my foot – squealing

Dirty fingernails scraped the earth
seeking out ancient dead: their stone-shadows

now ghostly skeletal images –

crushed in time and spatial vectors,
to emit crackling and spitting messages:

reminiscent of Italian and Chinese Art – in a white room.
With a high-brow air, but whining,
like a London Tube train,

late at night

then rubber-necking at the hard platform’s lip.
I watched litter swirling, between the tracks,
sniffed the warm rubber,

and flinched at metallic noises.

2 Responses to “The Fossil Gatherer a poem by Ivor Griffiths”

  1. Pat Monroy Says:

    What a great poem. I want to use it with my fourth grade students as we explore fossils –

    I think it would make a great introduction.

  2. The Poet Says:

    Thanks Pat. Let me know what they think of it.

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