Day 4


from the ABC set

In sliproads, cat's eyes glint at us and guide
to follow sleepy, falling out of cars
blood splashed asphalt stinks of oil and pride

and the dirty brass of fully loaded bars
a tarmac adam, jester of the dust,
fades from utter-all like ancient scars.

Your heavy load of young and artless lust
tore up tarmac on cremated tyres,
leaving a blister, the world readjusts

without you. With speed of nuclear fire
the rust scurf falls as pocks of flame
burning the world like a funeral pyre.

The damned are wiser with their hot rod games
now they are cold, metal cool and ripped,
a young man's fender-bender finally tamed

by lost control; a power-down, headlamp dipped,
finger-bone exposed, blue-lip on cigars,
exploded ash and the whole world flipped

and the petals rain outwards like shooting stars
as we follow, sleepy, falling out of cars.

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