Better late than never! I’m currently on a family holiday sunning and vibing on the isle of Lanzarote, so Escapril has escaped me somewhat. But today has been the first bit of wet weather we’ve had here so thought perfect time to compile what I have written. A lot of the poems have been inspired by the trip too. Hope you like!
iii. puppeteer
the puppeteer
not hard to gleam what it means
when we see you pulling strings.
thin threads
and sequins
stitched into
leather skin.
no wonder we caught you eating fire
as it’s not hard to see what you mean
when you tell us about the long year.
i couldn’t care less.
i couldn’t care more than anyone else.
you never reason with the tears
as you hookup with the fear
and lay your body in the long year.
not hard to know what it means.
no wonder you’re grieving.
thin threads
and sequins
stitched into
leather skin.
iv. dwarf planet
PLUTO
pluto
in a silver ring
of blue
bodies.
mitts
encircle
the fallen grape
souring on a tiled night.
a black stray
suns
beside the big wheels
of a tourist bus.
a wind runner
paddles
for their board
in the centre of the bay.
an eyelid
of the moon
overhead
among the white freckles.
dried coffee
tacky
on the lip
of a white saucer.
a blind crab
in a rock pool
with a shoal
of shallow fish.
toothpaste
dribbles
on a fresh
buttoned shirt.
v. baby animals of spring
haiku
collared doves on black sand beaches — the tropic trees waving green ribbons.
vi. portal
hold the dog
descending one hundred spiral steps into the hot breath of London — northbound on the River Styx. meet me at the pharaoh’s head — escalators of a high echelon to slabs of chocolate and wireless cups. a red bulldog in shades. selfies at the serpentine then the cold ride home passed the horses of chalk.
vii. a half truth
favourite colour
i told you
my favourite colour was red
but really
it’s closer to a burnt sun,
or an ombré of orange and cranberry,
or the glittering aquamarine of a morning sea
or the curled tips of a palm tree
or a cold plate of tiramisu
or the spill of dune sand
or tangerine and warm pink
or the lava rock like melted chocolate
or the back of a Nile crocodile
or the fins of a surgeonfish
or amethyst
or shell
or twilight
or white
or rosé
or red.
red like my shoulder
red like an ibis
and red
like my favourite colour.
Once again thank you to
for providing the prompts!
i love your poems so much!! honoured you're using my prompts 🥹