OUR SOFT COMPULSION

to step back and look

like a space raider might

or a door made sentient by magic

well they may find it crazy

or maybe madly sweet

that

at

night

after administering

ointment and salves

and swallowing

compacted preparations

we all lay down together

in a soft compulsion

and silent agreement

in different softer clothes

or less clothes

or no clothes

on as soft a surface

as

finance

allows

a soft surface 

designed for just that

and

then

under blankets

and

under quilts

our

waking 

grace 

is

gone

as

our legs and feet

strike out skewiff

our arms flung or folded

bent as broken crosses

well they may see this

as code or a ritual message

acted out on an upholstered plinth

us as an unthinking sacrifice

and there we surrender

with

little

fight

(are we all children ?

 they may wonder)

into a vulnerable unconsciousness

like a death

but for fits

of blurts and gargles

and 

pillow 

muffled 

mumbles

protected only by walls and glass and faith

and what these observers

can not know is that

we

then

journey

on

interior

voyages

to

strange times in random lands

where

the faceless and familiar

can

sink

away

at

a

touch

overwhelmed by their own

mysterious meaning

and the space traveler

or furniture made thinker

may

find

this

activity

makes

any observed insomnia

appear

a

sound choice

the proverbial picnic

to be awake and on watch

may make much more sense

may seem an obvious job

to their new fresh eyes

a safe and essential insurance

tho also unknown to them

the

struggle

of

tired wired

sleepless exhaustion

is

a

fuckpit

of

half sanity

to us

at best

from wikipedia.org

AN INDOOR SAGA

DIRTY STOPOUT 1

it

was

in

a

blur

of 

exhaustion worry and hasty food

that

i

slid

helpless wilful and unaided

into

the

twilight of exclusion

DIRTY STOPOUT 2

when the phone rang

it was a warning siren

cos

the

whole world wanted in

down the curly wire

i would break out

in a cold sweat

on my bed island

unable to decide anything

at

all

DIRTY STOPOUT 3

it

was

in

a

fools gamble

to

keep time available and mine

that i shut the door fast

after

work

and

mechanically inebriated

my

residue

way

over

the

plimsoll line

DIRTY STOPOUT 4

sunday was a buffer

a condemned ritual

of

baths

and

nothing

and

wine

the emptiest of fields

that my mistakes needed

to

breath

DIRTY STOPOUT 5

and today

well today

i wait for the postman

like

a

child

at

xmas

with only natures hangover

and

the gasman

is coming later

between noon and five

the gasman

is

coming

to

visit

me 

from thenorthernecho.co.uk

IN THE WINTER OF 85

if
i
spill egg

and
i do
spill egg

on the stove top
while its hot
then
i
smell
my
grans 
kitchen

sunday afternoon bladebone pie
with all the trimmings

gravy with ovals
of uncooperative grease

potatoes roasted 
into golden crowns

and someone 
always fetched 
the folding steps
from the galley kitchen
to 
sit 
down
on

because we were
always 
one 
chair 
short

till granddad died
in the winter of 85

and
it
snowed on the smoke
from
his
ashes

from chasingthedish.blogspot

GEST POST BY SALEM THE CAT

i see my daddy wryt on hear evry morning

so i foout id give him a rest twoday

cos he is very tierd

so it cant be two haard can it ?

my daddy nevr wryts anyfing wot rymes on hear

so i wil

hear goze

SALEM THE FOREVR CAT

BY

SALEM THE FOREVR CAT

i am a cat
i am a bit fat

i got rinkles saggin
all downe my bak

i like two chew 
on my daddys chin
an sleep on
my mummys heed

i will bee 
reely reely sad
wen there deed

cos i am a forevr cat
an dont haf to die

but if my mummy and daddy do
then i wil go wif them
to hefen in the sky


fanks bye

SO THE DOVES

PAPER & INK 11

FEELING CRAZY

if i feel crazy
i 
might think 
a lion might come inside
cos the back door is open
&
all
the
rules
have
gone
away

itd
come 
inside
big like the moon is big
&
there like a mistake is there

a blunt 
brand new 
problem
wiping my petty sheet clean

itd sniff at the rug
a raw & velvet boss
with
naked natures 
hunting eyes

then
id
have to grab 
the pet cat

small as a mouse now

&
climb
us
both
out
the
window

over the fucking cactus
over the plastic windowsill

( that now seems strangely absurd )

being
very
quiet & quick & sudden

& then shut the beast in
& then call someone
fast as you like

if i feel crazy 
like that
like all rules have gone

( tho theres never clear evidence )

then
i
shower
shave
put on a clean plain t
&
my
best
watch
&
uselessly & hurriedly
tidy
away
any
real or imagined mess
into
places
&
piles

square things up
to the edge of the table
the bookcase
the
corners
of
the
floor

&
sit
quietly on a sandbar

not fishing
for anything

from acidcow.com

IN HAMMERSMITH YEARS AGO

the
guy
in
the
row
behind 
us 
was alone & drunk
&
kept up shouting

hurricane bob
do hurricane

acting like he was 
the only proper fan

his row cleared out
&
dylan
left
the
stage
for
a
long double bass solo

that stopped the arsehole
kicking the backs of the seats in front

&
sent
him
off
to

the

bar

he never came back

bob came back

&
tho
we struggled to recognise the songs
he
never
did
do
hurricane

from rollingstone.com

SOFT MAINTENANCE HARD FURY

in the optician

talking about blue light wavelengths

and its ok
the guy is ok

he got deep brown eyes
in his phd head
i must stare at
while he sharpies my lenses

but i want to shout out
fuck all the glasses
fuck it all
fuck you all
and storm into the street

wild
and
absurd

an orphan ember

flung
and
fading

~

in the dentist

its ok i spose

and
among
other
questions
that
i
leave
blank

i have to rate my smile
from 1 to 10
on
a
clipboard form

i give it a 10

but
dont
use
it
here

cos i want to shout out
fuck all the teeth
fuck it all
fuck you all
and storm into the street

wild
and
absurd

an orphan ember

flung
and
fading

from emberscreencasts.com

FUTURE NEWS

the worlds last tobacco smoker died today.  

148 year old Phelony Spentlove, heiress to the Solar-Sketchers fortune, died due to complications in a surgically assisted birth of her fifth baby panda.

the panda is said to be doing well.

the worlds tobacco reserves were bought up wholesale by Phelony some 60 years ago at the height of the soil crisis.  

illegal in 99% of the worlds accessible landmass, tobacco smoking is still tolerated in Himalaya Atoll, where Ms Spentlove kept a penthouse.

Phelony shot to fame at the age of 100 as the first human to successfully incubate and deliver a live infant mammal of a different species, in this case a marmot named Bathtime.

she is survived by Bathtime, her five pandas and her husband-in-law Kenneth Glasshouses, 24.

dirge-hop conductor Kenneth, know for his prosthetic beaver tails, released his fifteenth billboard hit cast, 'My Arse Be Damming' early last month and was touring in the Netherlands Archipelago when the news broke.

he is currently unavailable for comment.

the board member for Benson & Hedges has indicated he will attend any services.

in other news the equator is still on fire.  

officials are still divided on what to call the phenomenon, despite clear agreement of the polled population for Firey McFireyface.

although we here at WBC believe The Burning Ring Of Fire to be an obvious choice.   

the fire is approaching its fifth anniversary and unverified sightings of phoenix's have increased tenfold.

reporting from Northern Australia our science correspondence Bethanyny Parkingjoy had this to say, 'Migrating geese on fire do not a phoenix make.' 

this up before the hair-weather and ad-sport - EU Sheriff Grandy Botanic has indicated concern over the continued silence from the UKs Quarantine Moguls, specifically with regard to trade quotas of Blu-Tack and the Royalty Range of merchandise.

indeed, there is a continued silence on all issues from the UK and the BRIC Corp, collective manufacturers of the Royalty Range, are keen for a robodrone HALO recon mission as soon as international disagreement can be circumvented.

now the hair-weather with Danbury Fillingboat . . .  
  

from pinterest