Springtime in Seville
By Tony Dawson

 

The scent of orange blossom
hangs heavy in the air,
heralding the thrill
of springtime
in Seville.

 

The aroma accompanies
the sound of drums and cornets,
rehearsal sessions
for HolyWeek
processions.

 

The rehearsals are the sight
of burly young men,
ready to shoulder the weight
of makeshift platforms.
With shuffling gait,

 

unseen and unseeing,
they learn to manoeuvre
through narrow streets, alert
to the capataz’s commands,
coming swift and curt.

 

North American Conundrum

Leif took European life to North America
and Theda Bara death, unwittingly.
There, the devil turned his back,
lived the evil inherent in his name
to emphasize how vile he is,
though he likes to draw a veil over it.

 

Tony Dawson from Spain is an English writer who has lived in Seville since 1989. He took up writing in earnest during the COVID pandemic since when he has published some 100 poems and a small number of flash fiction pieces, the majority in the USA and the UK. He has also published two collections: “Afterthoughts” (Cyberwit) and “Musings” (Impspired). He has also published a collection of 15 flash fiction pieces, Curiouser and Curiouser.