The DNA Of Living Dust

 

the sun in frosty beams tastes itself as lemon ice
the river riddles harlequins sewing quilted ripples
the pavements kiss their shine on concrete soles
the fallen leaves grind to powder glinting life in cinnamon..

the zebra crossing cleverly camouflages itself from a drunk driver
so that he crashes into a belisha beacon
a shoplifter with his trousers half down all hipster u.s. prisoner
trips and successfully seduces a passing policewoman..

clearly not big on human rights
extraterrestrial lizards abduct a leather-clad pedestrian
then tag their elaborate circles in the corn
then zoom off to harass radar operators and cows near area 51..

the motorway ferries the fireflies the lacuna dots solitary
service stations feed long-life plastic plants half-life plastic sandwiches
a deep-fried lorry driver flips over a frazzled warm blancmange
plain-clothed cctv snack on vacuum-filled rolls mugging customers..

a sweet wrapper in a puddle circles its round earth
a fallen frying pan claps the head of a tired nurse
she gazes out shading the windowpane thinking of iceland
she still has ten minutes to buy frozen chips and ice cubes..

children marvel at angels painting sheep in the disguise of clouds
parents curse the tipping wishing wells blessing their washing
the restaurateur polishes and prays for smudges this evening
in famished dreamy couples plate-painting hope sweeps in..

the light seems elemental and the lime is so different for tourists
the mossy curves rising glint as honey glaze patina
sunset lines crack code on glass spiralling double-helix
the expiring leaves in lowered light pepper the rising dusk..

Landing Through The Rabbit Hole

landing through the rabbit hole
then through another and another
the only way is to keep going
so you want the test
then hallelujah here you go..

landing through the rabbit hole
melt through mountains
roll onto a raindrop
an expanding four dimensional film
spinning inside time and out..

wolves shall howl outside smart golden cities
there everything you do might feel like a dangerous act
the glass bead necklace the immersed everyman
where caves of mercury in slipstream rush into the cavern..

save yourself before you are rewritten
as hateful artists hate beauty in their sausage machine gaze
in truth the defenceless killed live
through the rabbit hole you go
the different stages of the same age
some call kali yuga..

landing through the rabbit hole
your satin drapes your shield
down there free will means contorting headstands
the mockers point to the experts
to the stenographers to themselves
whatever is in the mirror may never reflect on itself
the entertained march through the arches
four more years..

landing through the rabbit hole
a speckled kaleidoscope of black on black night
slam your foot down hard on the accelerator
you will never crash mindless
your journey for light holds light
like the purest love..

The Pitfalls Of Being A Semi-Famous Dead Model

 

scrolling down a so-called news site
a semi-famous model committed suicide
lovers had a very public fight
and although they had a child together
he said some astonishing things about her on twitter
he apologised to his fans for being with her
he apologised to his fans for being with her
and that set the touch paper for the horrifying fall out
and no doubt soon their child will find out
what his father said about his humiliated then late mum on twitter
and how a day after his tweet-termination she was found dead..

join the dots
a great game for bereaved celebrity children of all ages..

the article detailed the sordid tale
coffee-break bite-size
accompanied by a few photos of her semi-naked
i am sure there was a reason for including that
she had that typical pursed-lips look
she was a looker though
most men would not say no..

so another semi-famous model commits suicide
something in her eyes..
i scrolled down to the comments
the best of humanity along for the ride
she deserved it..
she was a whore..
he was a scum bag..
they deserved one another..
why should i feel sorry for them they both had money..
i knew this would happen..
it was karma..
i bet she was good in the sack..
lol..
he was half-black so she deserved it..
she was only a model not a rocket scientist..

not a rocket scientist
unlike the commentators 
who all work on zero-gravity propulsion systems
or healing the sick with psychokinesis
when they are not trolling semi-famous dead models
a highly competitive twenty-first century blood sport
for the truly gifted..

one outlier commenter
questioned a particularly vicious statement
and he was remedied
accused of not believing in freedom of speech
his question not welcome here
he needed to shut up and leave
get with the programmed..

so another semi-famous model commits suicide
and there is nothing more to say
the clickbait commentariat have covered it all
and there is nothing more to say
another snapped carcass thrown onto the pyre
advertisers skim and cash their air-miles
as the keyboard neanderthals neath the drains
feel the vertigo of their flatlining brains
spit and point and laugh at crashing asteroids imploding in flames
everyone wins..

for some strange reason i was thrown back
to a time when nineteen
i was in an office photocopier room
and someone was talking about a staff member
she said he jumped off a building
but not this one
so it is okay
there is no reason to feel sorry for him..
then she added
at least he did not jump off this one
that would have been really selfish..

Love In The Time Of Corona (Part 2 - The Antarctic Variant)

 
looping through the moving stillness of stationed subterrania
the monotone electronic priestess calls the wistful waverers
she owns these leaden canyons sprayed and calls out its vice
mask-blinged the faithless armed only with an oyster
are gently tongue-lashed within the weaving cobra vessels 
wear your mask or face the consequences
only leave your home for essential blah blah..
..imagine hitler..
or something like that..

lucky for me i seem to be on essential blah blah..
and lucky for hitler he died peacefully in south america
surrounded by his loving extended nazi-to-nasa family
aided by highly placed enabling peronists
or so a few historians claim
the architects of operation paperclip must feel betrayed..

the bends in the silence star
for this sci-fi docudrama is noir de noir
i always have my earphones on
so the broadcasted admonitions pillow talk my plugged canals
a benday dot lyric slung transcient over the ambient track
such tender government threats spliced spill over aphex twin
or mogwai
or indian jazz..

so i imagine the lady of the p.a.
as she threatens to fine the non-compliant
slowly erotically
she dances the powdery blue surf
drunk on the amber sun-kissed monsoon rain
amid the perfumed evening full of jasmine candles and irises
she sings
if you are not wearing a mask
or an exemption badge
we may ask you to leave the train..

..so will you marry me
i caught you smiling shyly near the tea stall
the marriage season will soon be over you know
my family have lined up many suiters
my family are quite traditional
so the groom must wear a mask
come dance with me at the all-night disco
no need to ask..
cue interlacing drumnbass sitar solo..

when a child i absolutely hated the bbc show blue peter
how now i wish i had paid more attention
especially when the presenter taught step by step
how to make an exemption badge
from a corona bottle top
an elastic band
a busted hostess trolley wheel
and the inevitable vial of glitter
not forgetting a tube of compressed dead horses for glue
..ask your mum before you borrow her plaster of paris..
..but you do not need her fondue set to make this..
and why not ask your father if you may borrow his knife
his least favourite home-made balaclava
and a safe hammer..

back then 
if you returned the empty corona bottle to the shop
you would receive up to five pence reward
and a neighbour had a dad who delivered corona in his lorry
and he sometimes gave us free corona
and at christmastime
added a little egg nog or cinzano bianco or martini..

i must have been at least eight or nine and around this time
i had fantasies of being a corona delivery driver
if only then i had known corona in the twenty-first century
would be most efficiently delivered by plane
maybe i would have become a pilot
any time any place anywhere..

anciently the corona logo was seven bottles fanned into a crown
because apparently corona is latin for crown
soft drink manufacturers must have studied latin back then i guess
i wonder what is latin for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
i wonder what is latin for
this drink is also good for clearing drains
comprehensive education never taught us such esoteric things..

perhaps i already know but have forgotten
because when younger i drank too much corona
i now suffer from attention deficit.. oh what was i saying..

shaken out of my reverie by a man asking for change
i nod in agreement
change would be great..
confused he asks me again
do you have any change
i look up again
yeah in the next few months
we will have a brand new and more deadly variant
the antarctic variant
those penguins never respect social distance
so we will be asked to wear two female panties on our face
instead of one
that is okay by me i need a new hobby
i must remember to add this hinterland to my linkedin
this unique selling point might give me added value..
oh and we might be asked to take a booster every year
so there 
change..
sorry that is all i have..

he says thank you sir..
and i say no problem
they are all in it together
consoling us that we are all in it together..

the station stops or is it the train
the doors open then close
and a couple enter
they sit directly opposite me
early twenties would be my guess
pilgrims venturing to a secret gathering in a warehouse
covid-secure on whats app
a doorman will stamp its hand
and a remote mark zuckerberg
will dance his glass skin on skin right beside them so tight..

their nineties parents back in their day
might have danced in the same warehouse
they may also have worn masks
for play..

the guy holds a bottle of vodka
or maybe mineral water
he pulls his mask down
then lifts the bottle over to her lips
so she pulls her mask down
she takes an elegant swig
he then takes a gulp
places his mask back on his face
she then kisses his masked lips
before putting her mask back on..

the couple grin at one another then swap masks
and share a laugh
ah true love has beat the rona again
more power to them..
our station stops for our train..

my track changes to the live version of sleepers awake
the platform vocalist is male
stand on the right of the escalator..
..keep your distance..
..for essential journeys only..
who is that unmasked man
who is that masked penguin..

the couple race up the escalator hand in hand
and zig-zag through the long-descended high-viz fog
like mice through a ghost..