THE LEAF PICKER

(For Tilly)
silver snakes slither
grasping in throngs
tongs of black crayon
prickling and puncturing
twining secrets like wool
winding amongst the weeds
weaving a different story
this bearded brush
sweeps up the trees bare skin
spearing the skeletal hands now
brown with age discarded
on the crystal ground
this accidental leaf picker
is on a different path
head amongst fresher foliage
engraving stone with rivers
this curly coat like breath
lacing smoky circles
amongst those bare reaching
branches.
(20 lines)

UNAUTHORISED PHOTO

(For Chris. xxx)

you stay sleeping in your bed
many things are left unsaid
I love to say all the things I mean
so many things left in between
I see you peaceful, but unaware
I wish you knew how much I care
you are my world, my one and only
please don’t leave me cold and lonely
I love you truly dearly dear
even tho you leave me lying here
I don’t know what else to say,
except please don’t leave me this way
I hate to put this all on you
but i love you & i don't want you to go
I want you to know yr not my go-to
otherwise I would have taken this unauthorised photo.
:P

THANKS FOR PHONING BACK

After a cold and damp night the
plastic guttering welcomes the sun:
TWAP TWAP TWAP TWAP TWAP
in E X P A N S I O N

my dog’s feet
‘tsk’
their disapproval

i ask ‘soon?’
he replies ‘yes’
i wait
and wait
and wait
i get tired of
waiting
tired and angry
i look for something to do
like I can’t waste enough time
by myself.

my poster is sagging
I try to lift a corner
‘rrrrrpppp’
it doesn’t look
right
held together just with
blue tak
which is white
white tak?
s t r e t c h I n g
to compensate
for my fiendishness restlessness
IMPATIENCE
i think it is not
ENOUGH
i tear it into
pieces

i hear it now
it’s dying gasp (it was my
favourite poster-
vertigo)
dismembered and dying
in my waste
paper basket:
‘crrk crrrk ka’

Thanks for phoning back.
(44 lines)