David Selzer is a writer of poetry, prose fiction, screenplays and stage plays. He embraces digital platforms to share his work of more than fifty years… READ MORE


  • A FLY (AND INFINITY)

    Whilst I am at my morning exercises,

    the limited dumbbell, the selected

    Pilates, observing, through the French window,

    the shimmering, ornamental grasses –

    that obscure the water feature – and the odd

    finch and dunnock feasting on the birch

    and the lawn, a large, black, raucous fly

    hits one of the panes, once, twice, thrice then stops,

    becomes silent. We are all learners, most of the time.

    It – in a long life I have never learned

    how to sex a fly – walks with care, slowly,

    methodically, systematically

    across the pane, looking for an end to

    such transparent nonsense.

     

     

     


    4 responses to “A FLY (AND INFINITY)”


    1. Ian Craine Avatar
      Ian Craine

      I particularly like this one. Such a small moment evoked. A very original piece of observation.

    2. John Huddart Avatar
      John Huddart

      I feel somehow this delightful piece of observation was extracted from a lost section of King Lear!

      1. David Selzer Avatar

        There’s a poem in this – or maybe two. One I write, and the other you.

    3. anne wynne Avatar
      anne wynne

      This made me smile. Created a wonderful picture of a human stopped in his tracks by a busy, confused fly trying to find a way in. Such a lovely observation and it was the last line that really did it for me – I imagine this fly cursing and becoming more exasperated by the “transparent nonsense”. Fab!

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