A Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson
Seeds of Hope — Day 4 (23rd March, 2020)

A Portable Paradise by Roger Robinson

And if I speak of Paradise,
then I’m speaking of my grandmother
who told me to carry it
always on my person, concealed,
so no one else would know but me.
That way they can’t steal it, she’d say.
And if life puts you under pressure,
trace its ridges in your pocket,
smell its piney scent on your handkerchief,
hum its anthem under your breath.
And if your stresses are sustained and daily,
get yourself to an empty room –
be it hotel, hostel or hovel – find a lamp
and empty your paradise onto a desk:
your white sands, green hills and fresh fish.
Shine the lamp on it like the fresh hope of morning,
and keep staring at it till you sleep.

From the 2019 TS Elliot Prize winner ‘A Portable Paradise’ by Roger Robinson