A Letter from Arles—Andrew Roycroft

"Now if I recover, I must start afresh."

Jan 02, 2024

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Andrew is a poet and pastor from Northern Ireland. His poetry has featured in a variety of journals in the UK and Ireland, Arts Council for Northern Ireland projects, on BBC Radio, in the work of composer Anselm McDonnell, and he has also had work commissioned on a number of occasions by New Irish Arts. His first collection of poems, ‘33’, was published in 2022 by Square Halo Books and is a collaborative work with artist Ned Bustard.

A Letter from Arles1

by Andrew Roycroft

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Now if I recover, I must start afresh, 
December sunset contracts to a scar, 
by New Year’s grace may my words become flesh. 

My grief is a raw sore clumsily dressed, 
my heart open ground glimpsed through cell bars, 
now if I recover, I must start afresh.  

The dim down daylight in nature’s regress 
dumbs skies to dusk from rusted sunflower, 
by New Year’s grace may my words become flesh. 

I ask only pipe and a chair, a pallet for rest, 
letters from loved ones to pass cloistered hours, 
now if I recover, I must start afresh. 

In quietude, solace, ebb of distress, 
I furlough all frenzy, prodigal powers, 
by New Year’s grace may my words become flesh.  

O fleck skimmed heaven, my soul rises to bless 
pigmented twilight, vast cyclones of stars. 
Now if I recover, I must start afresh 
by New Year’s grace may my words become flesh.

The opening line of this villanelle (which forms part of the refrain) is lifted directly from a letter sent by Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo on 9th January 1889. Vincent was in the early stages of recovery from a severe (and well-documented) mental health episode which took place on 23rd December 1888.