Bee Orchids at the Landfill Site

Martina Dalton

Poems 
Innocence – in such numbers.
Open to so much interpretation:
this little flower.

To grow like that
mimicking a breathing living thing.
Rooted in such wilful neglect.

Landfill
pushing up its rancid breath:
that constant reminder.

To walk among them
you must leave your heavy heart
behind.

Barefoot, between their faces
the feather grasses. Count
the number of what was missed.

A fragile slip of land
unable to be expressed
except as something else.

Martina Dalton lives in County Waterford, Ireland. Her publication credits include The Irish Times, The Irish Independent, Poetry Ireland Review, The Stinging Fly, Banshee, and Magma. In 2022 her poem ‘Wedding Dress’ won Poem of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards. Her debut collection, Midnight at the Saltmarsh, will be published by The Gallery Press in May 2026.

Donate to Poetry London

Be a part of the next 100 issues

To donate, please click on the button below, or send a cheque payable to ‘Poetry London’ to Poetry London, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW, UK.

Donate to Poetry London today

Subscribe to Poetry London

The autumn issue has been so popular that it’s now sold out – but take out a new subscription and you’ll begin with issue 113, our new Spring issue, due in March. A big thank you to our growing subscriber list for their support!

Subscribe today!