CosmiKnot

  I’m like a fish out of water Think about it for a moment Do you see a fish on a bicycle? Gliding through the medieval theme tune Of an English university town? Or do you perhaps see a dace? Glistening in the small pale wet hands of a 13-year-old boy Offering up the catch to the lens of his father’s smart-phone A grin spreading like mildew over a photograph in the attic J R Hartley remains stock still in his grave at this moment  A fish out of water floundering on the unhooking mat on the bank It is not necessary to use one but against regulations not to As I wake into each day I am such a fish Lured from the velvety depths of my freshwater natural habitat Dreaming of my other son’s desire to buy a sports car Or my own promotion to transgender Professor I flounder motionless under the duvet and gasp for something. Air? A reason? A light? My gills flap as I struggle to readjust  to my new circumstances in a world of actual pain. Living is the oxygen of pain see. My gills ...

Free Fall Still got shingle from Saint Margaret’s bay in my shoes As I step through the train doors My parachute of text books Carefully packed Sitting snuggly on my back 54321 Go Down into the city we descend A strip of pinky grey against a dirty turquoise sky. Like a smudge of bees on the horizon In a cartoon riffing on the follies Of urban man. Here is the news I feel steely waves crashing in my feet I got the still got shingle From Saint Margaret’s bay In my trainers From when we sat in the car sipping tea Starring at the sea Your dark tresses Hardening my softness Monday morning blues.

His Whole Tooth I felt the fiver rustle between thumb and forefinger As I padded into your bedroom Preparing to make the switch A note would be easy to slide across the sheet Want a smooth operation  if this to be my last tooth-based transaction I could picture the paper under the pillow You always were a good sleeper Mum is out with the girls So I’m standing in for the stand in tooth fairy Swaying in the shadows The bathroom light is on of course I wait to see if you are going to stir Then I slide my hand underneath Below the soft rock I crawled from under Your head rests on a rock for a pillow As you dive into you dreams Deep inside an octopuses garden You are sleeping like a wreck On bottom bunk submerged in inky darkness. But I can’t find the tooth My hand scuttles like a skittish crustacean Fleeing a divers torch light Then there it is glinting The jewel stashed in a hole in the reef I slide the note along the silk...

Stay here a while Don't just get up and go Be with me here In the soft morning light Listen with me now Hold onto this moment A moment or two longer That's it you're doing great Its easy once you hang BE not afraid I'm not going to bite your arm off My toilet door is always open Now see what you made me do Staying here with you Settle back down And let you thoughts drift past On the bank to the east you're a natural oarsman I've got the rudder Being cartel not to oversteer Private land no mooring. Sign it says We'll disembark here then If that's alright you with Certainly 'll tie it up carefully Seaman might like to use as day bed the boat Good daylight sleep tight Wake me up when I'm pinching Sweet dreams my Prince Peace don't you want to kiss Kismet Hardy Don you feel paralysed I'm not sure I could spell it even. Smell that again I could hardly see what you were saying ...