It's Still Life

  The Future is Sunny I’m geared for Thursday. Sunny, says the weatherman. Bright as primroses. Just get me past noon, I say. Past this dirge of rain that sops the bark on trees, and drips like a toddler’s nose. Sun at noon, beams the weatherman. What a joker, wearing sunglasses. I see that our…

  Viva la Vida He’s pointing across the street, leaving his forensics all over the windowpane that I cleaned until my shoulder disowned me. Up there. Can’t you see it? He’s jabbing at the window. Look, up on Bob’s roof. Right by the TV aerial. I should be able to see it, the trees are…

Badder and Badder She drowned in a floral-scented bath, my broad-smiling, drunk auntie who loved to dance – her little feet were as light as popped corn, but my broad-smiling, drunk auntie was drawn to ugly old men with their callused-hand glances. The bad ones, she said, just get badder and badder.     Note:…

  Internalising Even the sun shines blind. I live inside clouds, some days. Embrace the mist and blur, but you can shine in the dark if you stick to basics. Don’t overthink. I inhale the deep woods. Wild garlic. Pluck at a violin string. Try. Listen to your internal quiet. I can’t always take in…

II. for NaPoWriMo “working with line breaks” Bread Knives Should Be Air-Dried I dried Mum’s old silver with the Moselle River. Dried her crystal with Chartres. The Loire Valley has a hole in it — my husband dried the bread knife with that one. I collect tea towels — dishtowels. From our holidays. I collect…

  I. for AprPAD “Food” and NaPoWriMo “A study in line breaks” Apple Take an apple eternal temptation of the human beast it strikes shame and melancholy Eat an apple and you’ll be hugging your privates it’ll send you off shopping for cover Here, have my apple painters bleed for them painters starve for a…