The writer sits here, sometimes, though mainlyit’s the bums of visitants—crisp crunchingtongue-flappers—the odd dog withits belly full of sun. Cheek of them,leaving litter braising in my fissures, the body’sparty-bag of skin shavings, crushedeyelashes, & the rest. To those gawkingat my tatty bits, smirking sanctimoniously,I tell it straight: I took a bitof all them. A tad […]
The little girl stands on a knife-covered ledge, Dancing till blood starts to drip from its edge.She’s been licking her wounds since the first time she bled, Getting judged for each thought she commits in her head. She’s been starving herself since she started to eat, Connecting the dots of her heart’s every beat.She’s been […]
I’m no havin children, A’m gonnae hae weans; /
an ye’ll can ask whit A cry them, no what are their names; /
That night, in sleep, I saw the forest clearing /
by the moor’s edge, and the ring of his ashes. /
He grafted with roughnecks and a crude-talking toolpusher: /
their toil slaked fuel lines, lit flarestacks, stoked motors. /
Dainty Alpinist, chinking her roots into fissures / and fractures, like crampons in toeholds. /
Yet we outshined them all, /
immortalized among wild rose— /
Life is blemished and golden moonglow, a lichen borne of love, the fruiting body you did not become. Or did you? We couldn’t keep you hidden in the tussocks of panic forever, but when you kicked, fifth instar to a shimmering green, you were still our little secret. You quickened into life and through your […]
She crosses the world and wonders if it’s faith keeping the plane / adrift. A runway of stars leads her to us. The skies clear again. /
Ah willed a miracle / wi ivry last oonce o strength Ah haed / but nane cam /
The canallie thringt an jostled at the seiven lassies paraudin past een fixed oan the varsity doors aheid, laith tae allou the flyre an stanes tae haud thaim back The examine thay beet tae tend an aa ither leafu pairts o thair Auld Reekie coorse willnae coont tae gie thaim kennin o thair moyen as […]
Ah wunner if the Romans / wha cam up wi sewage systems / wir derogatit, torn doon / an met wi sic resistance /
