Roberta Lawson

Cento

Finally, he wants to write…

The secrets of the girls childhood

finally tumbled -

especially if they’ve been mishandled.

Reassuring benefits

dress in a handy, pocket-sized format.

Fancy.

(You don’t need to do anything.

This is not the novel he wants to write;

this reassuring tracker of girls.)

These balls of community dough

not recommended for

pregnant women:

The benefits of a

fancy dress blood donor.

You don’t need to do anything

for the fullest, most rewarding life.

Balls of dough, mishandled

like lactating women

speak of this soon…

Handy, pocket-sized secrets

for a serious buyer.

Wind-Down

Later in the day than

either of us knew existed.

Wrapped up in quiet night-time

and the slow-heat of your body,

curled sage & incense wafts

wind about the room with

their unfurling fingers.

You ask the wrong question,

and like strange magic

my tears begin

a silent procession.

‘Sweetie, what

on earth is wrong?’

you ask me, blinking.

I guess I just felt safe.

Shopping List

Weak light waking, ivory swan-beak repeated face rape. Pinhole flamingo eyes, pencil heel staccato forehead hopping. Carpet stumble, tumultuous

free-fall: a dizzy seesaw. Hula-hooping illness, silver vibration dancing. Slightly ripped petticoat, earring foreboding. Round discii, cotton muffle flotation. Scratch spider writing, paper forest bouquet. Squeezy white toothstuff. Scooped out stare-faces, barbed prison basket.