A step towards warmth

The silhouette of an unidentified bird of prey
hovers still,

suspended,
scratched against the air
above a silver flash of metal estuary,
carrying ships out to sea,
and reflecting plumes of smoke from the industrial horizon:
tall, fat chimneys belching it,
mixed up with sparse cotton clouds.
I saw blossom for the first time this morning,
creamy against a grateful sky,
blue: the colour of my teenage bedroom walls,
full and hopeful,
the broad canvas of spring
stretching out before us,
cosseting the tentative hyacinths that shoot upwards,
where people walk into work saying
"It's lovely out there!"
grateful for a lighter coat,
a brighter morning,
a step towards warmth.
The bird streaks away,
leaving a flutter of seagulls in her wake,
impossibly white against the tide,
the container ships pass, the smoke unfurls still,
the sun gains confidence,
immersing us into a warm yellow bath of a day.

Written for World Poetry Day 2018