Vivienne Tregenza

Vivienne Tregenza is a Cornish poet published in Cornish New Poetries, Broken Sleep Books (2022). Winner of the Poetry on the Lake competition (Formal), shortlisted/commended in many competitions over the years, now finishing her first collection.

Elder (i)

how fragrant its blossoms were!
Hyldemoer by Hans Christian Anderson

How they lit up the hedgerows!
How they came, unexpected

and fragile as snow in April.
My gnarled trunk, my branches remember

those first blossoms.
The sap rising in my green shoots

made me yearn to stretch
my wind-stroked limbs

towards the sky’s mysterious blue.
It drew me like water.

I am old now. Half hollow. Leave me
the dark fruits of my endeavours. Let me

soak up the rain.