Strange What Keeps You Afloat by Scott Elder

Strange What Keeps You Afloat  

A crow’s groan at dawn    the creak

of two boughs touching   an empty

breeze    this tortoiseshell cat   doz-

ing in moonlight   its wizened body

attuned to the tide  to some haunt-

ing song that spins and drifts   and

twists a way through    leaving you

limp and without design     tonight

is beyond anyone’s reach  a barely-

there-event  then gone    give me a

God damn map  you mutter    your

fingers begin to twitch       it’s okay

it’s okay  I say       just take a breath

Scott Elder is an American poet and songwriter living in Auvergne, France. His second collection, 'Maria' was published by Erbacce Press in 2023. A third, 'My Hotel', is forthcoming by Salmon Poetry in 2026, and a second chapbook ‘Molly, etc’ by Rufus Books Publishing, has just been published. https://www.scottelder.co.uk/