Pokémon In The Cemetery
At the grave of Blondin Tightrope Walker
You got two Great Balls and a Pinap Berry
At the Mausoleum of James Morrison
You battled with a Growlithe
You beat it easily with your Sandslash
At the Soyer Tomb
Grade II Listed by English Heritage
You evolved your Woobat
Into a Swoobat
Walking west, the canal was there
Beyond the railings
And woodland sheltered older graves
A woman passed us with wrapped flowers
I did not raise my head in time
To meet her eyes with an apology
Me and you, spending this morning
Smelling the turning leaves
Feeling the misty rain
Wiping it away from the bright screen.
‘Pokémon In The Cemetery’ by Clare Starling received a Special Mention in the Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition (October 2021) judged by Rachel Long.
CLARE STARLING
Clare Starling has written fiction for many years but only recently fell in love with reading and writing poetry. She writes a poem every day and loves using words to capture a moment of life. She is an expert in equalities policy and a Goldsmiths graduate, and lives in London with her husband and Pokémon-loving son.
Enter the current Sentinel Literary Quarterly Poetry Competition. Prizing poetry…since July 2009.
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