A Natural Scene by Niamh Darbyshire (Scotland, 17)

A pale blue belt, golden luminescence
Where the lily wilts.
Entangled with the vines beneath the surface,
Divine gift to Gaia.                                                   
The della robbia child.                                                    ​   The watcher observes,

The surface eases and the ripples welcome her,                  Feasting on the remains.
She is held below the waves.                                          Our mighty father does not love the thing.
Yellow petals safe in the skeletal nest.                              Bell towers chiming , melodic and decadent as
The water is at peace,                                           The sole of adam falls on the limb of the pleading laurel.
A tranquillity without struggle,                                           The ground beneath crunches and snaps,
Eternally overlooking the colourless lilies.                                           This is where he shall rest,
Pomegranate seeds pried from the lifeless jaws.                                           under Apollo’s radiance.
                                                                                Accursed be the fruit of thy womb,
                                                                             Stolen cherub from the
                                                                Mother who will never be.
                                        A reluctant belladonna carved in the open spring.
                                   ‘Our divine father who art in heaven’ he preaches,
         ‘Hallowed be thy name’ he begs,
His hands clasped as he bears his soul to the heavens.
And he glances back to gaze at it,
Sweet, mourning lamb.
The crows circle,
He hath cleansed the stain.
Serpentine in the lap of Dyrope.
Yet, he looks at it with a certain hunger in his eyes,
A longing to taste.
A glutinous fool who wished to consume
Unwashed grapes.
His Dionysian intoxication.
Bleeding.
As the thing is forced into the rapids.




Niamh Darbyshire is a Scottish poet born in 2006 who takes great creative inspiration from her experience growing up as a woman in a patriarchal society. She aims to make social commentary on issues of feminism to inspire change, in particular, she writes about religious dogma and rape culture. She has not been published anywhere previously but hopes to continue to write poetry informed by political issues and her own experiences as a woman. Readers should be made aware of triggering content for those who struggle with themes of sexual assault and abuse of religion.