Stella Oceanus
On the island of Vestra,
I found a curious cactus caught
in a cloud of confetti petals,
below sky-gliders.
On the island of Dantos,
I saw a zebra’s stripes
like jet-black shadows on a frosted-hillside.
On the island of Juno,
I watched the trail of exhaust fumes from a skyship
as soft as a cloud path
and as deadly as a cobra’s venom.
On the island of Orcus,
I heard the sound of a courteous crane,
breathing sparks across a desolate city
as it snoozed and the night streets yawned.
On the island of Pelastria,
I felt the memory of polar bears with moon-claws,
snow-fur and sunset-rimmed eyes
that once had swum the whale-highway.
On the island of Amulus,
I touched the cloud-shifter,
saw a wind-glider hover
as a red nut-cracker
leapt from a leaf-carrier.
On the island of Sol,
I touched the moment between
a slip, a slap and a heart’s
final trip trap over the bridge.
I found a curious cactus caught
in a cloud of confetti petals,
below sky-gliders.
On the island of Dantos,
I saw a zebra’s stripes
like jet-black shadows on a frosted-hillside.
On the island of Juno,
I watched the trail of exhaust fumes from a skyship
as soft as a cloud path
and as deadly as a cobra’s venom.
On the island of Orcus,
I heard the sound of a courteous crane,
breathing sparks across a desolate city
as it snoozed and the night streets yawned.
On the island of Pelastria,
I felt the memory of polar bears with moon-claws,
snow-fur and sunset-rimmed eyes
that once had swum the whale-highway.
On the island of Amulus,
I touched the cloud-shifter,
saw a wind-glider hover
as a red nut-cracker
leapt from a leaf-carrier.
On the island of Sol,
I touched the moment between
a slip, a slap and a heart’s
final trip trap over the bridge.
This poem is copyright (©) Pie Corbett 2025
About the Writer
Pie Corbett
Pie Corbett is an English educational trainer, writer, storyteller and poet. He has edited 24 anthologies and his collection, ‘Evidence of Dragons’ is a classroom staple. He was writer-in residence at the Kent festival, and has appeared at the Cheltenham and Edinburgh Festivals. He has worked on BBC radio and tv programmes, was nominated for a BAFTA and the Japanese Prize for educational tv. He is well-known for creating the Talk for Writing approach to learning, which is widely used within UK primary schools and around the world. A new collection is appearing in September from Otter-Barry Books, titled Dragon Cat.
