The table is set and prepared
In ‘trending’ Samian ware –
Scarlet plates and drinking bowls
Raised from their form-fitting coffers
Having travelled long by sea
They stand fresh-bathed and shining
Elegantly crisp and clean
As the verse plays of their master
In the household some excitement
Who is the A-list guest invited to supper?
Might it be that cloud of ash
Running down the mountain to embrace them?
Bernard Saint
Illustration: Claire Palmer