Eleonor Livingstone, Scotland

The witchfinder`s daughter

So when you reach for me in bed each night
your hand on my bare thigh, I make myself
go tense, and listen as you sigh, a sound
as soft as a kiss let loose in the air.
You turn your back and I can only see
white skin, a scattering of fine dark hair,
a stillness in the hollow round the root
of your spine
                            It will be in a hidden
or tender spot; And so night after night
I keep on testing, making you expose
your secret places. Making you cry proves
nothing; but when I stick my needle in
and you turn round at last to look at me
without a sound, then I know I’ve struck home.

Eleonor Livingstone, born in 1957, is a well known Scottish poet, reviewer and editor whose work has been widely published in the UK and also in Ireland and the USA. A graduate of the University of St Andrews, she works part-time as a para-legaland creative writing tutor. Since 2005, she has been Artist Director of the Scotland’s International Poetry Festival which takes place annually in St Andrews. She is a charismatic reader of her own poetry and regularly travels  to give readings across the UK. IN June 2008 she took part in the Utena Poetry Festival in Lithuania and participated 2010 at Struga Poetry Evenings. Publications include: The last King of Fife (HappenStance, 2005), and A Smapler (HappenStance, 2008).