CLOSING TIME
Photo by Malcolm Lightbody on UnsplashSee her in the street
polite, random, neat.
drunk with hunger & fear
she is forgetful of decency
foreclosing a conspiracy
of silence
polite, random, neat.
drunk with hunger & fear
she is forgetful of decency
foreclosing a conspiracy
of silence
Once one, kind, sweet woman,
polished floors with rage
arms red and heart needy –
no monkeys in her cage
polished floors with rage
arms red and heart needy –
no monkeys in her cage
It was late; the Spaniard’s Inn,
the full moon was shining,
with all the destructive solemnity
of a river in flood
the full moon was shining,
with all the destructive solemnity
of a river in flood
Sleeping London was dreaming of blood
the upcoming uncivil war
the upcoming uncivil war
a child-mother on the watch for rapists,
accompanied her child slowly into sleep
accompanied her child slowly into sleep
suddenly, breaking through the gizzard of sleep
a pale light, like the light of heaven,
awoke her from a world that does not vibrate
with tube trains
The kettle would be a fanfare of ferility
in the sparkling morning, the baby fed;
a plaintive cry instead
a skinny child, filthy and dark,
emerges from the nineteenth century
into a kitchen with no hot water, no heat, no food
where this tiny family could be disappeared
without trace by agents of the Islamic state
only a few isolated natives remain
condemned as an unregistered angel,
she screamed incessantly,
nobody heard, nobody cared
she screamed incessantly,
nobody heard, nobody cared
diverted by the fearsome need
to defeat expectations
to defeat expectations
How hard it is to be beautiful if you’re born poor
and English, it's a job to stay alive. Never mind thrive.
Nights under the moon make her swoon
with a great hunger for a different life.
and English, it's a job to stay alive. Never mind thrive.
Nights under the moon make her swoon
with a great hunger for a different life.
?si=cph0sPalfLC9x6Oc
…….
