My poem ‘A Midsummer Knight’s Dream’ was inspired by a walk in our local woodland several years ago where I came across a small toy knight carefully positioned on a branch. Had he been placed there as part of a game and forgotten or discovered lying on the path by walkers and left there to be reclaimed by his owner?
The photo was taken in autumn but I relocated the poem to Midsummer’s Eve, a time of magic, when a toy knight might hover between real and inanimate and the smallest creatures of the natural world might take centre stage.
It’s perhaps also about the power of childhood stories and there’s more than a nod to Shakespeare’s play here too.
Shortlisted: MK Lit Fest poetry prize and featured in the MinK2026 anthology – MinK#6 The Trees which will be published in April 2026.
Shelly Dennison 