i sit with my heels up on the chair rail

she says my feet are nice

&

we talk about the sandal marks

on otherwise brown toes

she wears flip flops

&

we reminisce over summer days

bindweed climbs the college wall

&

flowers on the fence

the girl who stands up

Elin Ersson, 21

so i wore a dress

&

my legs turning brown.

i drove to meet you

&

the car broke down.

you will never know

they have gone to south wales

down

in south wales

my phones says

africa

it is not my village
i have lost that one

it grew

too big

carelessness

rooms full of plastic

instead of hard wood

ocean wave

carelessness

i try to be anonymous

but am found out

how careless

they ask

‘did she lose her husband?’

&

“how will she be judged now”

labelled & worn

the barn blew down

a wild wind; a long winter

she used to hang the washing

there to dry

now it is too hot

caged.

it is all there

if you look

little birds

they say he fell & cut his head

in the bathroom

when she arrived there was a number

written on the plaster

on his forehead

the date he fell

1.

i am a bin man & also a poet

some times

pondering

newton’s law & the strength of plastic

i drop the bag to test the theories

2.

i am the driver & watch him

glad the bag did not break

wonder at his thoughtfulness & isolation

should i report him or let him be?

we are late already

3.

i am the householder watching

i move forward smiling

pick up the bag

to help him

think it must be onerous employment

yet

nice to be out of doors

will remember a tip come christmas

sbm