Sapphire I have a treasure in my soul given to me long ago in words of bright, and literal blue by a stranger who, told me that The Kingdom of God was a planet made of sapphire and that one day we would go there. She said it, sharp and clear as fact, directing her prophesy specifically at me. I remember - though we only met briefly how my friend pulled me away, whispering, 'Let's go.' And so we turned our backs and headed for the M3 And we stood thumbs up hitchhiking for maybe forty years and forgetting each other and where we were going. Everything about those days is hazy But the sapphire planet still shines and I wonder if it is not in fact a star. I know nothing about astronomy but I have felt those azure rays it seems, for an eternity. And in my madness have bathed in their light sometimes, wondering fearful of gullibility but lured back by beauty So that I can now say - sharp and clear as fact - that something crystalline and true now grows within me reshaping with exquisite ordinances the lost years of my rebellion.
Valerie Maria Anthony is a London and Hampshire-based poet who has published In Oremus Magazine and Amethyst Review. She believes poetry can be an instrument of grace and takes joy seriously enough to look for it everywhere. She has many years of experience facilitating creative writing workshops in social care settings and is a trained visual artist.
Amethyst Review 