…
the pebble in your left
orthopaedic shoe
& rain last tuesday
a certain afterglow
in the sunset’s curtains
when we both squint
plus the cataracts
in the glass eyes
of the blind mortician
or the sparrows nesting
in the west wing
of the matron’s beard
the gnomes in the garden
that wink when we blink
perfectly in sync
like the lipstick smeared
on the vestigal nipple
of the bishop’s catamite
are all redder
than a blushing herring
square one beckons us back
…
…
five pints of thin air
two snark eggs
sugar-free sugar
salt-free salt
invisible flour
fat-free lard
four straws for clutching
half an ounce of nada
nut-free marzipan
ten spoons of mist
gluten-free gluten
three hen’s teeth
& a great imagination
…
…
the butler never did it
they railroaded him too
those sneaky widwits
the typewriter botherers
as whodunnit authors
are yet more rotten apples
& just as bent as coppers
or those limbo dancing hunchbacks
who loiter in the gents
toilet in the park
every friday luchtime
…
…
all of mange tout
is the flesh of my lord
he is the green
in a foggy winter soup
the chick in y’ chana
& the holy frozen garden
resurrected ghost
when reheated
behold the king of fritters
praise sweet flower thou
the rehydrated christ
in y’ pot noodle
is my mushy messiah
the universal pulse
religion of peas
yes, god in every pod
…
…
unscattered ashes
catch the last drift home
bones unbroken
all’s unaching
nor a restless tingle
when breakfast calls
take another gulp
swallow like a summer
while the tealights dance
dunce in the mist
nouns becoming verbs
shine like the plough
pow & kerblam
power nap slang man
index left
cleft fist this
voles, vowels & barn owls
scanning your barcode
say cheese & sneeze
odin sesame
dawn chorus horus
…
…
poetic on paper
papyrus or ostrata
~
half a yard onward
spring is only dozing
~
strike three times
with a branch or large twig
~
whistle greensleeves
then lick both ends
~
listen by the wayside
may contains nuts
~
after the gathering
blathering songbooks
~
batteries included
glue guns fully loaded
~
enter the author
exit the aether
…
…
yesterday’s grey duvet
warmer than before
meanwhile the bean stalks
starlings each dusk
bugels & badger musk
pencil in if needed
but we’d rather be
floating like a ghost
answers on a lamppost
…
…
rewriting fire
fly like plasma balls
~
up before the farmers
farther than we think
~
further with each murmur
murky is the key
~
then with an itchy knee
in between storms
~
headless once more
like pompey on the shore
~
pour more coffee
& sneeze three times
~
tables & swivel chairs
where is the pen?
~
hanging over damocles
somewhere there’s
~
airing cupboard doors
ghost white transit vans
~
closer than before
iron thy underpants
~
anthill billies
dance in bright futures
~
goats are the g.o.a.t
music is your glue gun
…
…
stick it
to the mango
…
…
plus extra petals
syntax, saddle wax
speaking of shapes
croaking crocus
almost sing hymns
eight hundred pigeons
gatherings of steam
clutching vapour’s trails
stainless steel moon
spit shoonerisms
tea spoon sputum
blue room ceiling
sixty six turnips
peeling & revealing
while giants snore
dawn redwood
snorkels, trucks, rucksacks
nut sacks & scratching
catching & hatching
tenfold the troubadours
chapter seventeen
…
resarf poetry 