“Windblade announced the universe’s imminent destruction to its denizens and used her fans to form a devastating storm… [a] gigantic robot pulled Windblade from the sky, causing her to reset in the process and forget all about her mission. Without any memory, Windblade fell into a waitress job.”
— TFWiki.net (2016)
Steeled messenger of squall and surge;
storm-tongued; cityspeaker who thundered
down the cosmos, who swung this alloyed gale
into the fray; antic without hesitation;
cheeks streaked Kibuki-white; sword sworn;
piloted by trust and feat and parcelled nerve.
*****
Stolen server of coffee and eggs;
weasel-handed; cityghost who coasts
across the shy hours, who drives her spirit self
to dust; she is neat hesitation;
cheeks flushed drab; sworn uncertain;
tethered by talk and drill and barest calm.
KATE WAKELING is a poet and ethnomusicologist. Her debut pamphlet, The Rainbow Faults, is published by The Rialto, and her book of children’s poetry, Moon Juice, is published by The Emma Press. Kate studied music at Cambridge University and holds a PhD in Balinese gamelan music from the School of Oriental & African Studies. She lives in Oxford with her husband and son Hamish.