Grey Bear Culture Magazine

There’s a
ramekin,
on the bench
in the churchyard
pink blossom
from the tree above
scattered around it
like confetti.

It catches the light,
casts a shadow
across the bench
and it is full
of cigarette
butts.
A small devotion
to tidiness
as the petals fall.
The pink
blossom drifts
to the edges
of the stone path.
The daffodils
are fading now,
their heads bowed
to their imaginary
reflection

And the bench—
early morning
is usually taken
by a solitary man
with a can of beer
and a careful thirst.

He lifts the can
like a quiet hymn
The blossom falls.
The light moves on.
The bowl fills slowly
No sermon,
no hand on the shoulder
just the day beginning again
for the solitary man.

By Tim Boardman

– Tim Boardman, a poet and artist from Otley, West Yorkshire, crafts lyrical, intimate pieces that illuminate ordinary life, blending reflection, memory, and gentle storytelling into moments of subtle emotional resonance. A devoted family man, Tim balances his life between his roles as husband, father, teacher, and poet. His work celebrates those intersections — where care meets creativity, and where everyday life becomes poetry.