Poem 80

Also from my Original Composition portfolio in 1984 this is the poem I wrote for Rebecca that sealed our friendship and led to us working together … before I handed it in I had the freshly-assembled portfolio with me in Drama class and she asked to have a look so I passed it back to her in the row behind me saying I think you’ll be interested in page 4 … the look on her face when she read it …

( the title felicitously echoes ‘unsafe at any speed’ and emphasises similarities between Rebecca and Bonnie Parker that didn’t end with the beret … I had obscurist until Bill Manhire told me the word was obscurantist … )

Bonnie At Any Rate

About the first thing
you ever said to me 
was if you met t.s. eliot 
and you had a gun
you'd shoot him
I happened to mention
I was a bit of an obscurantist myself
and you gave me a look
like you'd do the same for me

but now here you are with one leg
hooked over a chair like bonnie and clyde
or bonnie at any rate 
a gun at my temple 
forcing me to write you poems
and all I can think of
is breaking down your door
finding you in bed with t.s. eliot
the gun still sleeping
under your pillow

you see that's your problem
you're all talk