The Friday Poem

A poem every Friday

Under the Rubble

Poets have always responded to war by writing poetry — it’s what we do. Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on 24th February this year people started sending The Friday Poem their poems about the war — poems about resistance, poems of protest, and poems about specific individuals affected by the fighting. These are stories of courage, grief and hope. We decided to publish some every week as Friday Poems for Ukraine. Here’s ‘Under the Rubble’ by Scott Elder. Slava Ukraini!

Under the Rubble

One shadow and only one     

the cold prickling your delicate skin

entering each pore     asking     

someone here?     someone in?

your sole witness is voiceless     

one bell tolling a single tone 

is this the texture of stillness?     

a world within is stirring

try to place your index

on the softness of your wrist

the pulse will be insisting

‘I’m your only     I’m your only’

is this the morning star?

morning is not now    

is it this?

not this     not this

Since 2014 Scott Elder’s work has been widely published on both sides of the Atlantic and has been placed or commended in numerous competitions in the UK and Ireland and shortlisted in the Bridport, Fish, Plough, and Troubadour Prizes. His debut pamphlet, Breaking Away, was published by Poetry Salzburg in 2015. A first collection, Part of the Dark, was published by by Dempsey & Windle (UK) in 2017 and his second, My Hotel, is forthcoming from Salmon Poetry (Ireland) in 2023.

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