When it’s dark over Albert’s mother’s
it means the weather’s escaped
because Albert’s mother
is the Weather-Keeper.
She takes the rainclouds for their daily walk.
She brushes the shiny coat of the waking sun.
She cleans the thunder’s teeth with dentastix
made from the fallen branches of willow trees
and she clips the lightning’s toenails.
She feeds the wind – it likes newsprint
and sweet wrappers and sand – and,
for a special treat, a bucket hat.
Albert’s mother’s job is hard. Long hours,
but she doesn’t mind. Albert’s mother loves
the weather – all of it.
She says there’s never a dull moment
and no two days are the same.
She says the weather’s good company –
part of the family, now.
Which gets right up Albert’s nose.
Albert says he doesn’t get a look-in any more,
much less his laundry done, or a tin of his mother’s
famous rock buns once in a blue moon.
Albert’s mother smiles, stirs her rock bun mixture
(Albert does get rock buns, but he forgets) and thinks about
what she doesn’t tell everyone – doesn’t tell anyone…
If anyone gets up her nose
she can accidentally leave the blizzard’s cage open
or let the fog off its lead
and they always know just where to go.
*
Hilary Elder (she/her) was born, raised and lives in the Far North of England – though she has been to other places. She writes fiction and poetry for children and adults, runs workshops and does collaborative projects. Her work has been commissioned by Hexham Book Festival and published variously, including: The Caterpillar, Tyger Tyger, The Dirigible Balloon, The Maker, Northern Gravy, Paddler Press and Dreich. Her middle grade time-travel novel was shortlisted in the Hachette Children’s Novel Award 2023. Her debut collection, of children’s poetry, is coming out soon with Valley Press.
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