She talks of family planning with spiders, gives advice to dogs on the subject of manners, compliments flowers on their beauty, discusses pesticides with bumblebees, speaks of romance with butterflies, lectures cats on their toilet habits, and mostly, she just tells off the wasps. Wasps are the Hells Angels of her garden. When hot, she … More THE IMPISH DAUGHTER OF EVE
Underneath the Bridge of Heartache the saintly take their shelterIn the dark tunnel of delusions white-face clowns aim to provokeThere’s a Best Ragweed Hotel made up of just cardboardWhere a ‘mutton dressed as lamb’ Madam comforts the broke On the merry-go-round favoured by ‘bruise easily’ loversThe pipe organ plays cacophonous rhapsodiesSteam powered wooden ponies all … More UPSIDE DOWN
I hear you shed a tear for Mussolinihow very little I knew ofthe workings of your mindon that night seed embraced egg Then lateryou, your heart in one handa cigarette in the otheryour eight monthstumescent bellya radiance I think was lost to youthough not Ilaying down the lawas only the naïve andpassionate know how You … More A TEAR FOR MUSSOLINI
Happy days were here again. Almost. On her way to the shrine of plaudits, she paused. Quizzical thoughts and salty tears of long-lost joy. The sign that had caught her eye, she the one who made daisy chains for death row convicts and homemade chewing gum for the toothless ancients, read, ‘Henceforth and forthwith providing … More ‘I FOUND THIS ON MARCH 9’
WITHOUT THE PALISADE OF TIME before him a photograph two genial faces lovers no doubt a holiday snap? backdrop Rouen? Cathedral Notre-Dame? has he seen it in a brochure? must go there one day pointedly she says that that is ‘us’ ‘us’ when we had no secrets love struck ‘us’ still love struck ‘us’ her … More WITHOUT THE PALISADE OF TIME
when crimson satin meets medallion augmented uniform without exchange of hard cash then you know a war is won an armistice set in stone a time for revelry wanton the survivors such is the hyper sexuality of victors coming home and those who greet disinterred heroes another time; another place before the war perhaps? crepuscular … More DECREPIT DIARIES
I met an absolutely gorgeous swoony sort of chap just the other day at the garden centre where I was busy fondling a sapling whilst at the same time shedding a tear for a wilting bonsai. With so many people about I had, of course, kept my kit on. Anyway the chap I met worked … More THE SAD DEMISE OF JESSICA DOWNLOW – THE TREE HUGGING SUICIDAL POET
she is blithe in Fantasia now not a care in the world be it of forged legend or of unfeigned history the word of the vanquished is legitimate evidence of a reflection of what once was essential the open door heralding impossible freedom turning the door handle she found it locked foul words and a … More TO THE TUNE OF THE GUARDS WHISTLE
Cairo between the two world wars hustle and bustle and open doors The old walled city of a thousand minarets about the great Citadel of so very few regrets Sublime Islamic creations upon which greedy eyes must feast tobacco burning in a sheesha the naïve one will get fleeced Pickpockets and charlatans the thrill of … More THE BLACK SHEEP OF THE EMPIRE
How strong the woman, how frail the man He chanced upon her dressing She had got so far as tights and knicker elastic allowed Naught else As is her way A private conference With the unborn babe in her belly Telling him to Get his act together And show up or fuck off She turns … More HOW STRONG THE WOMAN
- MIKE STEEDEN - 