Who 's this moving alive over the moor?

An old man seeking and finding a difficulty.

Has he remembered his compass his spare socks

does he fully intend going in over his knees off the military track
from Okehampton?

keeping his course through the swamp spaces

and pulling the distance around his shoulders

and if it rains, if it thunders suddenly

where will he shelter looking round

and all that lies to hand is his own bones?

tussocks, minute flies,

wind, wings, roots

He consults his map. A huge rain-coloured wilderness.

This must be the stones, the sudden movement,

the sound of frogs singing in the new year.

Who's this issuing from the earth?

From Dart Faber £8.99