The Playwright's House
To achieve déjà vu in a dream
you should sleep in an unfamiliar room –
the pungency of mint on fingertips,
a smear of herbs on the lips.
It should be in a house besieged
by trees. The dream may intimate
the nature of the room's empty
spaces – some mischief perched
like a putto, on the run
from a painting that once hung there.
In the deepest hour, things slip
into place, smooth as pebbles.
Seconds – pressed into staying
by plaster roses, dusty ceilings –
wait for the night time calls
to summon their creatures.
June Wentland lives in Corsham, Wiltshire but originates from Hull. She has had poetry published in magazines such as Stand and Poetry Ireland Review and in several anthologies. Currently, June also has a poem on the "Poetry Archive Now! Word View 2020" YouTube Channel.