The Poetry Marathon

moving 

breaking : or rather : just entering : people’s (former) homes : has become : just another : something i do : almost without thinking : we need things : houses have things : the people who owned the houses : can no longer use the things : those houses contain : ergo ipso facto whatevso : we take what we need : to survive : but this house : i’m in : at the moment : has broken me : the room : a lounge? study? bedroom? : i cannot tell : is completely empty : except for : a computer chair : hat box : plastic flowers : & a coat : draped across the back : the sunlight : capturing : the polished wooden floor : is golden : heavy : late afternoon orange : were the owners : moving : this was the last load : & now they’ll : never reach/

despite my best prevents : i start to weep

a slight snag

don’t : what? : you better not : be about to say : what i think you’re about to say : which should be easy : cos i have no idea : how we got here : 

just moments earlier : i was telling stella about : what i saw : inside the pod : or what i didn’t see : perhaps more accurately : given it was kinda : futuristic igloo : crossed with minimalistic man cave : for the modern adventuring extraterrestrial : but i hadn’t even gotten : to the good bit : about how i escaped : before she started going off at me : for doing dangerous things : & leaving her & reuben & the kids : in the lurch : & what point did i think : i was making : climbing the white ladder : in the first place : & we’ren’t we trying : to lay low : & not draw attention : to ourselves : & i promise : i wasn’t about to say : are you gonna stop nagging : so i can tell you what i found out : although i think  that’s what stella thought i was about to say : & maybe it was : but seriously : it’s cool what i’ve learnt : & she’s making me feel bad : just cos she thinks : i was taking an unnecessary risk : which maybe i was : okay which i definitely was : but how : do i tell her : jumping on that ladder : was the first time : i’d felt hopeful : since the whole : invasion-thing started : well not the first time : obviously : being with her is : pretty amazing : (most of the time) : but hitching the ride : made me feel i was actually : fighting back : or at least : trying to resist : or learn about the enemy : & then she says : of course : you don’t care : i was terrified : you were never coming back : & suddenly : it all makes : a lot more sense : & i realise what : a complete arse : i’ve been : & i’m not sure : how to get out of it : except by saying :

you’re right : i’m sorry

I quite enjoyed fulfilling (half) the tasks for this prompt. Look forward to editing it [wrestling a fraction more sense from it] post marathon.

swish

the world is an orange
it can be eaten in just three bites
acidic nose bitter tasting waxy
skinned squelching overripe bright orange
the acid bright on my tongue
the waxy squelching in my ear
the bitterness burning my eyes
but despite his best efforts Ryan
is never going to arrive in Arden
it’s all too big to be consumed
besides no one’s left to play basketball
whether you’re a buzzer-beater
double-dribbler or alley-oopper
it matter’s not cos the world’s ending
the bugs have three in the key
they’re putting on a clinic
not a cloud left in the sky to make it rain
& we’re just gonna fadeaway
chomp chomp chomp
juice gets in our eyes & we cry

The Last Day Stella Saw Daddy

Mummy & Daddy yelling
Again again always
Always always yelling
Daddy’s breath smells
Mummy crying
Daddy says bad words
Lots of loud bad words
Pushes Mummy over
Daddy lets the door bang
I get told off if I do that
Daddy makes the car roar
Stones and dirt hit the window

At least now it’s quiet
Except for Mummy sobbing on the floor
I go to her: Mummy I’m hungry
Go away she screams

I don’t know where to go

finding them hiding

i don’t know how Rueben
knew they were there
but he did somehow sensing

he’s always been good
with live things
bringing home frogs & birds

& countless other creatures
to the safety of his heart
before always … letting them go

awkward realisation
when did my little bro
become my teacher

5 one-line pomes about: hope, stardust, cheese, sleep, & shoes

i.
hope sleeps in cheese shoes

ii.
shoes hop over sleeping stardust

iii.
sleep cheesy hope in your stardust shoes

iv.
cheese stardust slopes hopewards

v.
stardust chews sleep and shows hope

42 Bookers 2015-21

it might only be
a little life
but it is my life
& i am unwilling
to exit west
to lose everything
under the overstory.
i am a satin island
in a sea of fishermen
born in the year
of the runaways
next to a spool
of blue thread.
sucked hot milk from
the autumn milkman
am all that man is.
am girl, woman, other.
do not say we have
nothing. for we are
his bloody project
a history of wolves.
and i would rather
spend 10 minutes
38 seconds in this
strange world
in this mournable body
in the new wilderness
of a real life
than be burnt sugar
for the shadow king
& that is the promise.
for no one is talking
about this bewilderment
and the fortune men
lose in the sellout
to a passage north
to the great circle
of ducks, newburyport.
the long take
of the testaments
reminds us 4321
of lincoln in the bardo
& a brief history
of seven killings:
eileen, elmet, shuggie bain,
washington black, quichotte
as well as an orchestra of
minorities in the mars room.

tenderness

Stella and Ryan keep bickering
About petrol, spark plugs, tires
And anything else they feel like.
Constant since they “re-found” me
Not that I was ever lost. I always knew.
Sometimes wish I was still underwater.
Better than air pods deep pools.
We’re crawling through some long
Deserted back streets, dodgy houses
Cars on blocks and yards full of junk
When suddenly I see them. Two kids.
Girl and boy. Younger than me. Hiding.
Or trying too. Perhaps hoping to be seen.
Or saved. Stop! I scream. And to all
Our surprises we do. I’ve got the door
Half open when Ryan grabs my arm.
Whatcha doing buddy? I saw two kids.
They need our help. You sure? It could be/
But he doesn’t finish his sentence.
It’s not. How do you know, Stella joins in.
I just do. Trust me. I know without knowing
How I gotta approach them like they’re
Skittish colts. Cos they really are.
They want to be friends. They just don’t
Know how right now. I don’t speak.
Neither do they. I smile. The girl sort of.
The boy hides behind her. I don’t think
They’re related. They’re just clinging.
To whoever. I hold out a hand. Wait.

Eventually.                       She takes it.

umbrella?

no way
not for me
you don’t get it
i don’t need an umbrella
want blessed rainfall on my skin
always keeping me clean, safe from harm
away from whatever’s in that alien Agent Orange
eviscerating everything good real & warm into soulless dust 

mattress bed in a flower bed

catching what i can : sleeping when & where & as i can : the odd dreams continue : this midday : confined to : a double mattress : made up as a bed : white sheets : in the middle of a garden : flowers already dying : wilting palms : providing : ineffective tigerstripe shade : in the distance : soft grey water : reflecting a tiny portion : of our heliorious : sun’s rays 

in my dream : i dream : of trying to sleep : lying on this : oddly placed : day lounge : but i can’t : knowing as i do : that 7 & 1/2 : earth minutes ago : the sun somehow : blinked entirely : out of existence : as if an enormous : intergalactic child : picked it up : like a marble : & popped it in : her pocket : before jumping on Einstein’s : beam of light : & riding away : stopping all the clocks : behind her

all except the one : which will : in a little less than 30 seconds : remove all light : & all gravity : from where i lie : on a white-sheeted mattress : in what was once : our solar system