Poem 75

Published in Islands 38, the last Islands published … I had twelve poems in total published in 36 and 38 but after that Robin Dudding’s friendly harbour (and my most literary outlet) was closed to further traffic …

( … stands unable to rain like an old man over a urinal – I like that … )

Find Me

The sun is such a stain on my sadness
and the world whistling this morning
like an expectant bomb down streets
where you've disappeared

it's not you digging up the road
surprising larval yellow cables
you're not driving any of these buses
or standing staring through yourself in this window
waiting to see if your reflection
will walk to work without you

this morning stands unable to rain
like an old man over a urinal sun burning
like a metal star
this morning guillotines all the birds
singing their heads off
this morning everyone gets a lungful of summer
and thinks they're Christmas
this morning I was interested to find
I could still feel like I did when I was a kid
in a new jacket and someone
came up and spat on me
this morning I lied about looking for you

I was looking for anyone

but now as I readdress my steps
home I want you on every corner
with the story of your day