Always Running Behind

Patina

To him, when she appeared each day
Just before the sun came up, and woke
Him with the gentlest of touches, a
Hint of a scent, she appeared solid
Enough, and real. The dark panels
Behind her glittered with the patina
Of an age gone by, and her naked skin
Shimmered against this backdrop
Of history. But every morning, just as
The sun breached the horizon and the
Open window, his hands went straight
Through her when he reached out.
She never saw him.

R 17/02/2025 17:06

Your Body Distracts Me

Your body distracts me from politics,
Even in the dark, in your sleep, your
Heat evaporating into me, the groove
Of your spine a life line for the man
Who freezes in the sun in summer,
Whose mind keeps him from long
Hours of sleep, baggy eyes hidden
Behind the glasses he puts on each
Morning before his clothes. Before
All this middle of life, there was a
Time, there was time, for us to look
And admire in the light of day, in
Artificial light too, the bodies we gave
To each other, the daily gifts we
Exchanged, without fear or judgement
Or superficial lust. And then life
Happened, beyond our control,
Way past any sense of justice,
And robbed us of the light.

R 18/02/2025 14:12 Norwich Library