METRO (Aggravation)

Ignorant

that her voice

spirited by

the miracle in her hand

can whisper over oceans

a woman shouts in Mandarin.

Bloody shut up

a middle-aged man

open-mouth chewing

grunts

between cracks of gum.

Opposite

a nod

agreement from a cloud

of garlic

and two day-old BO.

For fuck’s sake

I mutter –

showered

shaven

brushed, flossed and gargled

laundered and deodorised –

quiet

and reeking

of new cigarette smoke.

DIALOGUE (Internal)

Loser

loser loser

loser loser loser

loser loser

loser

loser loser loser loser

          loser loser –

loser loser loser loser loser

          loser –

loser loser.

Loser.

Repeat.

PARIS (False Pretences)

You have

had

time now perhaps

to think that I

befriended

you under

false

pretences.

But

how

having never

tasted or seen

a fruit –

knowing only

its name –

can you recognise

its juice

for the first time

overflowing

your lips?

We both bit

innocent

I stole nothing.