A selection of poems from my new collection baby, i'm ready to go. Photo by Jamelah Earle.

Poetry

A selection of poems from my book, baby i'm ready to go published by Grievous Jones Press.

 Click a title to view poem
right there

You see this burn on my arm?
Right there
Is why you should never
Cook.
Right there
Is why you should eat raw carrots
And beans
Straight from a tin.

You see these cuts on my hand?
Right there
Is why you should never
Prepare vegetables.
Right there
Is why you should
Eat the carrots
Straight from the bag
And get someone else
To open the tin of beans
For you.

You see this dent in my kitchen wall?
Right there
Is why you should never
Put two fire signs together
In the same relationship.
Right there
Is why the Arian,
Who’s trying to
Read a book,
Should never tell
The Sagittarian,
Who’s trying to
Make the tea,
To open
The sodding
Tin of beans
Herself.

You see this heart in my chest
No?
Well it’s
Right there.
I keep it wrapped
In muslin and
Hidden away.
Yes,
That wrapped up
Hidden away
Heart
Right there
Is why you should never
Fall in love
With a man who
Says he loves
Women.

You see this shadow on my soul?
Right there
Is why you should never
Let the world and everyone in it
Get to you.
Right there
Is why you should take more care
Of your soul,
Because when
You see that disabled woman
On the tube
Having to ask someone
To give up their seat.
And when
You see that hedge fund manager
In the City
Lining his pockets,
While a single mum in Rotherham
Has her flat repossessed.
And when
You see that Labour Prime Minister
Abolishing the 10p tax rate
And selling the working class
On “modest” incomes
Down the sodding river,
Right there
Is when your soul is in danger.
Right there
Is why you might decide
The world and everyone in it
Should from now on
Be referred to as
‘The steaming pile of shit.’
Right there
Is why you might decide
To cancel your membership
Of ‘the steaming pile of shit,’
Up-sticks and move
To the Dales
Where you could eat
Home-grown carrots
And beans
Straight from a tin
That a man
Who loves
Just one woman,
Will have gladly
Opened for you.

You see?
Right there.
It’s all right there.


right there was published in the Summer 09 edition of the Book Club Boutique Newspaper.