Tom Branfoot

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dream hymn

this heart I forget it beats      wholeness 
thrown and shot like a clay pigeon 
at the barbed    and terraceous mouth 

of the woods    grandma goes to the cathedral 
for confession    so the parochial 
priest does not recognise her voice    

to keep it sweet with hymn   
sunday morning                
in the city bodies persist

churches shuttered
no saviours within a three mile radius
of wageness    wishing to be strong

as a pharmaceutical giant     
full of actual grace     not fatigued 
from giving what needs to be gave    

this heat I forget it sears      my possible 
brightness will you come down 
if I lean into it with my animal

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TOM BRANFOOT is the writer-in-residence at Manchester Cathedral and a recipient of the New Poets Prize 2022. He organises the poetry reading series More Song in Bradford. This Is Not an Epiphany, Tom’s second pamphlet of poetry, will be published by Smith|Doorstop in June 2023.