Saturday, 28 May 2016

Crack
















We drink sugared coffee 
In the bath tub
She hugs her knees
Traps the bubbles 
In her fingers
Sings a broken blessing
How long now
She asks
Looking up
It’s hard to break 
Her prayers and wishes
Not long 
Little cricket
Not long
Her body cracks
Like plaster
Cooking in the sun
Quick sticks
Flies
Pies
Cherry lip lies
We have to get ready
For what
The push
The price
The crash
The fall
As if you don’t know 
Silly
You really are quite mad
She giggles
The water rings
The plughole sings

Resting on the feet of angels

Look I’m one dimensional
She squeals
Buzzing like a paper plane

A chill creeps like mist
Glues discs to bones
We are stuck stuck sticky
Not a care to gloss over diverse

Don’t despair she squeals
Hanging out with tawny owl
It’s a terrible bore being lucid
Far more fun to sing and play

She pulls her hair 
Sweet strawberries on the vine
Curtain tassels looking out

Remember our pact
To never come back

We come down fast
Like failed apostles

I remember I say
Holding her hand

We close our eyes
Sugar glowing rich in our veins
She sings 

Down came the rain and washed the spiders out
Out came the sun and dried up all the pain.

Wednesday, 25 May 2016

Can





















She spreads out the cotton cloth
It has red and white squares
Like a chess board
She beams

I’ll be mother 
You be Queen

The holy water is topped up
The candles burning bright

I quietly bathe my broken skin
Hope that it will heal

Shall we eat

We sit in the corner
Empty plates
Broken spoons

Dished up
Powered down
Running low on prayers

She takes a deep breath

I’ll be mother
You be Queen

My head jolts

The sandwiches are electric
She squeals

Everything is bright and ringing 

Perfect weather for a picnic
She beams

Baked potatoes
Wooden floor
Sunday evening ticking
Delicious 
She smacks her lips
Licking up a morphine kiss
Sealing it with glue

There is a shark in the ceiling 
A fire on the floor
I don’t know what to do

All you can do is dance in the dust
She says
As if the world is full of joy
And we spin in it
Happy
Lucky
No spiders left to chase away

Ignorance fills our plates with bliss
Nothing makes it better

Every can counts 
She skips and dances

You 
Can
Can

She spreads out the cotton cloth
It has red and white squares

The holy water is topped up
The candles burning bright.

Saturday, 21 May 2016

Face

















We turn our filthy faces
Towards twilight
Nothing is right
We are highly
Sprung
Strung
Beautiful 
Broken
Sore
Grit itches 
Big as skyscrapers
Tearing out our eyes
Tracking our veins
Thick as night
Reaching our head
Where we have lost 
All sense 
Lips frothing
Ringing like a bell
Fetid 
Red
Empty 
But for dreams 
And glue

What did you do in the war
Has it finished

Every can counts 
Like a floral apostle
Willing in its mission
Failing in its vow

Fresh blood sugars our tears

This war is the glue
Which binds us together

We make a stand
Gloss over the words 
Pay the price
Of love
And hate

Only rain falls as a blessing now

She crawls towards me
Let’s make a pact
To leave
To never come back
However much they push
And pull

They lie 
Like flies in cherry pies

We hug the floor
Face to face
Her nest is foul 
Rotten as cabbage
Sweet as our last breath

Maybe the streetcars
Are driving home
It’s hard to care much any more
Our heart dried out 
Long ago

Same tired high 
Same tired low
The buzz
The fall

Nothing is right
We are highly
Sprung
Strung

Only rain falls as a blessing now

Beautiful
Broken
Sore. 

Wednesday, 18 May 2016

Bully


We eat Bakewell tarts
Hidden on the kitchen floor
As if anyone is looking

The floor feels bendy
Giddy and sick
Like my head 

We are rapid cycling
Up with the stars
Down with the moon

If only your head
Would stop stop
She retches red in the sink

Rip
Clutch
Tear
Bare

Hit
Hit
Hit

We creep around the edges 
Of our existence
Shoes creaking
Loud as hammers 
Banging in nails

Soul variable
Three or four
Mainly fair
Good

Glitter in our hair 
Stones in our feet

A blizzard of secrets
A bully of words

Fantasies buried  
Enchantment dead

Untouchable
Unbelievable 

Real

Who put the gasoline in the fridge
Me silly
I think you’re about to explode
Boom
She giggles
Holds my hand
Pins me to the floor

Our bodies quietly move
Wishing up 
A storm
A tea cup
A fairy tale

What did your daddy teach you
How to aim straight
She sucks her candy
Points her toes
Smiles

Well that’s far more useful than verbs and sewing

We look at each other 
Laugh

Bones and dust 
Little cricket
Bones and dust

Then pass me a glass of red
She says

We drink the world away
Hidden on the kitchen floor
As if anyone is looking.

Saturday, 14 May 2016

Us





















The tea petals settle 
On the lip of the cup
Like a kiss
Or a penny stuck  
Her fingers graze gently
Tired chapped skin

A blessing
A flower
A screen 

We were always in between people
Never quite us

She rolls on her tummy 
Reels in letters
Fishes for words

He made the mirror
More a wall
Less a door
It was far beyond my cunning 
She mumbles 
Really not fair
All in all

Betrayed
Bewildered
Burnt

I wouldn’t have chased 
Rabbit
Fallen
Had I known
I touch her cheek

It is not often we are worsted

Fleeced
Finished
Fucked

Enough with the rhymes
There isn't the time
The clock is ticking
He may come back you know

My evangelist
My penny
My flower

Time bends spoons on the moon

We are up at four
Down at five
Nimble as gymnasts 
She squeals

Thick blonde hair 
Falls in worry curls
Stiff as wax
Wrestling angels
Night after night

We hang the last cloth
As if it is the holy grail
It is white
We paint a window 
And a door

I wonder what it is like
To be everything you want

That is the adventure we will make

Polish our noses
Put bows on our toesies 

Come on little cricket

We step forward
Take a breath
Enter our door.