what was left of them scattered shards
falling down broken things
walked over the remnants in bare feet
saw blood running from the scene of the crime
the day before there was somebody lying, stalled in your car
bonnet yanked upwards on a knitting-needle hook
a poster for a backstreet abortionist contortionist yeah right
windows wound down white trash anthems rolling out
a stolen car reverses down a dead end street
revs away from chattering sirens theme tune from Z-Cars danger won't
can't fall asleep
I'm stealing the third pint from the sun
not a scarf from Harrods or a doll from Lovecraft
I order one more it's the fourth pint from the sun now
scribble postcards from the edge on serviettes I can't find the words
I want gasoline's dripping
getting tired of all the empty picture frames
somebody lights a match slaps another lawsuit: here we go again
sunset's getting closer now
from a dip in Lawless Road
Courtney Love waves as if she recognises me
picks up stars like little fish
throws them into the air
you've given up trying to catch the wind, stars
fall down, flounder on the tarmac
passport pages fly weightily
from a high apartment block, leaning awkwardly no really, I'm fine
a sepia wedding portrait dangles
on the living-room wall like a guillotine
getting tired of all the empty picture frames
may I have my cigarettes please, Nurse Ratched?
the hook on the back came from K-Mart
was that a tremor it does the trick I need a fourth pint danger can't fall asleep touch me
another pint from the sun another poem scribbled on a serviette
I don't find the words I want that doesn't matter
this will have to do
Glorious. And every word rings true.
ReplyDelete
DeleteDown Lawless Road
where the dead men left their bones
down by the corner milk bar
the hapless cashier can't make change
the dead men try to retrieve their lives
as if bones were change
as if a shop were the rest of this life
Deletelawless road came took me away
prison was an afterthought
mind is an encyclopaedia
down the road a piece
I wouldn't be bald except for her
or writing this except for you
Deletepity me at your expense
I cannot imagine it
a prick a ponce a price
down lawless road
maybe see you there
DeleteWhere dead men left their bones
down by the corner milk bar
the hapless cashiers don't make change
the dead men retrieve their lives
as if bones were your change
as if a shop were the rest of your life
lawless road come take me away
that prison was an afterthought
that mind was an encyclopaedia
so way down far the road a piece
I wouldn't be bald except for her
or writing this except for you
but a prick a ponce a price
it’s down the lawless road
maybe see you there
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteRob, I adore the poems you've written in response to Lawless Road - and of course also coming from your very own work on pints in the sun - please feel free to post them on the site too! They're fabulous and really capture the 'mood' of Lawless Road - love the hapless cashiers and the dead men retrieving their lives. Fabulous stuff! We could do a 365+1 anthology on the subject!
Delete:)
Delete...and parenthetically...is it ever parenthetically? What a wild read this will be. I hope to hear you read these someday.
ReplyDeleteYes, just wonderful, swirls through the head and off the tongue!
ReplyDeletemake mine a pint a sepia
ReplyDeletefor lawless men
with hollow bones
OK Kit there's a pint coming your way -especially for the lawless men with hollow bones - and one for James and rob too. Pints all around - cheers!
ReplyDelete