Tundra
The glow in the windows is unexpected, as is
the presence of a car in the driveway.
In school, we heard only of permafrost.
In a house in the tundra, a woman loosens
a scarf, shakes her body out of a coat,
and slows as she passes a mirror.
Music is playing. Arms encircle her waist.
She turns, lets lips meet lips.
This, too, is wilderness.
Mary Ford Neal is a writer and academic from the West of Scotland and the author of two recent poetry collections, ‘Dawning’ (Indigo Dreams, 2021) and ‘Relativism’ (Taproot Press, 2022). Her poetry has appeared in magazines and anthologies including Bad Lilies, One Hand Clapping, Long Poem Magazine, Dust, The Interpreter’s House, After…, Atrium, Honest Ulsterman and Ink, Sweat & Tears. Her work has received 2 Pushcart and 2 Best of the Net nominations.