‘most of your mother’s songs are still worth singing’
Poems taken from User Stories
By C D Boyland
Published by Stewed Rhubarb
The Caryatid
change
shift yourself
grow dragon tailsport feathers
change
inherit new ways of
thinking, borrow sharp
new teeth, gaze cautiously
into the shadowy corners of
your own capacity
change
learn to come back from
the dead; it’s a good trick
much easier these days &
will get you follows
change
learn/unlearn/relearn/deny
you once thought some
things would never
change is to living what
not to change is to dying
change
buy this diy chrysalis kit
off the interwebby, ransack
your gran’s sewing box
& make a pair of wings
steal the colours, if you have to
you’ll find best turquoise
in boys’ eyes, best jade in
haters’ scowls
change
all you like
young whippersnapper
grow armour if you
must, be proud of
scars, get nimble on
your feet but don’t
forget
most of your mother’s songs are still
worth singing
The Doll’s House
surround yourself with objects || to keep their ghost
away || a pair of gloves || this leather belt || a coffee
cup they never touched || bought new when you were
‘starting over’ || masks that you put on || close fitting ||
buttoned at the neck || never to be exposed to music ||
only worn at night || taught not to use the unsafe words
|| like ‘I will be faithful’ || or ‘I know what I want’ ||
maps re-drawn || whole territories marked ‘here be
phantoms’ || places where their feet have trod || across
your belly || through the garden of your thoughts || marks
their tongue has left || the taste of certain streets ||
is different now || the air has mouths || whispering things
best unheard || make a doll’s house of yourself || empty it
of furniture & move in || wander all the patient & hungry
rooms || keep a saucer of red milk || beside the door
The Notebook
we speak
knowing that neither of us
will remember what was said
one of us talks, the other
writes down all they say
I wanted to look over some of the
conversations that we’d had
I read back through our
notebook & discovered that
you’d torn of the
pages out
‘what’s this?’ I asked holding
out the notebook showing you the
torn edges where the
missing had been
you took the notebook from
me & wrote down ‘what’s this?’
& then
User Stories by C D Boyland is published by Stewed Rhubarb, priced £5.99
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