June 2026

poetry

Nautilus

by Jonathan Edis

Where to begin? At the centre  
or your culmination? My eye  
works slowly, like a camera obscura. 
 
No matter how long I look,  
my mind cannot hold your shape 
nor conjure its image. 
 
Curled up prawn, copper and cream, 
your face seems awry, with  
a barn owl front and anemone side. 
 
Logarithmic shell, marvellous spiral, 
your turns grow wider, forget  
themselves, open and fling out faster, 
 
winding as a hawk on the hunt, 
moths in the moonlight,  
typhoons seen from space. 
 
Effortless in deviations of pressure, 
how do you survive unfazed, 
grow chamber by chamber?  

jonathan-edis
Jonathan Edis

Jonathan Edis is a dad, poet, osteopath & international lecturer from the London-Essex ‘burbs, living in south east London, UK. He has been published by Ink, Sweat & Tears, Green Ink Poetry & the AUB Poetry Prize. He loves cinema, history, running & listening to cricket on TMS.

More work by Jonathan Edis

1968 - 2026

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