THEREFORE I CAN

the creosote
& the petrol

the varnish

& tarmacadam

the neighbours skunk

on the weekday wind

& the mucking-out-the-stables earth-funk

of
the
animal
self

i smell 

yes

i smell

therefore i can 

PANIC BROTH SIMMERS

bungalows abandoned extensions
point skeletal in the naked morning
under cracked blue tarpaulin
swinging heavy in light wind

~

& nerves are jangled
behind the ok façade
of the van man parade

& a panic broth simmers
below the dog walkers
habit natter & chit-chat

~

i can smell it
&
it smells like

what the opposite would be

of the smell of
fresh cut grass

NOSTALGIA DEAD ENDED FOR THE STASIS MEAT

 

& 

the air freshener 

in the hall outlet

smells of . . . 

. . . nostalgia

smells of when i smelt that smell

from the hall outlet 

another time 

before

CHINO'D IN AN ARMCHAIR 198?

 

the bungalow cul-de-sac 

is flat as a playmat

& the static house dad  

watches sports tv

& does not turn his head

~

& chino'd in an armchair

under dormer corner stairs

you wait in the strange 

& finger comb gel glue

out your flop flick hair

~

youre shit-disco bound

if you can stick it

there are no drugs yet

& your hand sweats up 

your lonely ten pound note 

Photo by Jonathan Farber on Unsplash

BREED AND WEEP, A PILL PACK POP

WORLD SCARED, REDUX

im scared

about the world

its maybe tired of us...

should we get our coats ?

are you scared

about

the

world

too ?

~

it smells

of

inaction infection

of

last chances on futilities edge

to me

does it smell like that

to you

too ?

from youtube.com

CATS SOFT COAT

tumeric
ground three days ago

distant peat

moss dried
after summer rain

a cleaned and living warmth

residue of perfume
        of handcream

trapped garden air

unavoidable hint of practical litter
and
somehow tar

home definitely home
and
a musk of long slow slumber

how to describe his smell
nose deep
in the cats soft coat ?

( maybe even 
  electricity
  subdued
  by his 
  power station 
  heartbeat )

AUTUMN AGAIN

the 
smells again
now 
its autumn again
like 
the oven again
the 
black 
metal 
warming 
up
and the heating again
those 
old 
pipe clicks
and the dead afternoon again
the 
empty 
air
under a dead mouse sky
and the memories again
all 
the 
army coats 
i 
wore
and the sudden evenings again
falling 
dark
like
armageddon hugs
on 
college commute trains
and 
the home car drones again
to
scald hot taps
and
ice tile floors
and
the
long long nights again
to
the
lazy ink smudge dawn

KIMONO

bought a kimono
for her to wear as a dressing gown when shes here
and
then i will wear it
as a dressing gown 
when shes not here
and
it will smell of her
and 
then she comes here and will wear it as a dressing gown
and
it will smell of me
and
she will make it smell of her again
for
me
to
wear

kimono