Agent for Change
by Sue Spiers
When fibres spill with her cycle on spin,
the threads like secrets a spy should keep
out of the ocean and close to his skin.
Sent with this purpose his mission begins:
a harbour seal’s plan is sneaky and cheap
for fibres spilt from her cycle on spin.
He dons a disguise to cover up fins;
a coat pulled tight over sneakers to creep
out of the ocean and close to her skin,
distracted by noises when he breaks in
to bug her machine. Next load’s in a heap
as fibres spill from her cycle on spin.
The seal inserts a filter: micro thin,
then scarpers fast, over a cliff-edge leap
into the ocean by teeth of his skin
to the strains of tunes by Lalo Schifrin
the seal’s successful mesh has saved the deep:
the fibres blocked when her cycle’s on spin:
out of the ocean and free from his skin.
Inspiration: Three influences brought this poem together: Susan Richardson’s book Words the Turtle Taught Me (Cinnamon Press) which came from her residency with the Marine Conservation Society and introduced me to the harbour seal, my Agent for Change. Their website has a wealth of information about conservation projects including my second influence: reducing microfibres in the ocean and the third influence is Mission Impossible to bring the agent, or spy, imagery into the poem, Lalo Schifrin’s theme music played in my head as I was writing the villanelle.
Sue Spiers works with Winchester Poetry Festival, and helps to run a spoken word event called Winchester Muse. She edits for the Open University poetry society and supports T’Articulation, Pens of the Earth and enjoys open mic events with the Front Room at Southsea, Open Mic at Chichester, Write a Note at Southampton, and Tongues & Grooves. Her poems have appeared in both print and on-line magazines. Sue Tweets @spiropoetry.