When the Dogs Bite

Wednesday, 14 October 2026

14th October 2026

night walk

woodsmoke on the air

deserted street

away, away

away with the doldrums

away with the fairies

the fearies

and the furies

away with the confidence

with the discipline

the self control

and the image projected to the world.

away

away.

Tuesday, 13 October 2026

13th October 2026

blustery day

of course it's bin day too.

airborne plastics

Empty Stadium in Ohio

"There's more ice than ever before," he says,

and I wonder if he means his whisky glass

because he must have had a lot today

to wash down his heart meds, his blood thinners,

and his Alzheimer's relief

because why else would we be uncovering

more artifacts than ever before

exposed by the shrinking ice caps

and the hypocrisy of politics

as backdoor deals are made with China;

with Russia; with North Korea;

and does Sarah Palin still watch "them Ruskies"

from her kitchen window in Alaska

or is she more worried about Danes

and those warmongering Canadians?

Monday, 12 October 2026

12th October 2026

rusted metal

rescued, varnished, painted

artistry

Doppel-shift

Maybe what you saw

wasn't me at all; but my co-joined twin.

We were separated after birth

with me, the whole one,

going on to a full, if oddly gendered life

and he, a collection of missing teeth and bones,

studied all his life in a lab

until he escaped at twenty-seven.

We only spoke once,

but he was jealous of my life and loves

and swore to wreak revenge

on anyone I cared for.

They're all dead now, of natural causes,

and it wasn't me, I swear.

Sunday, 11 October 2026

11th October 2026

stinky bedroom

at six in the morning

Cookie's diarrhoea

Manners

do you remember when we were kids

we walked to Rowney Green

and bought a packet of crisps each

and a bottle of pop between us.

You walked backwards up the hill

eating Walkers Sweet and Sour,

spitting out the sour ones

onto the hot, dry road.

The women behind you asked you why

and you said you didn't like them

and I was so embarrassed by you

I never went there again.

Saturday, 10 October 2026

10th October 2026

frightened cat

racing through a fence gap

Widget follows

Temptation

I was tempted by someone

(most would say 'the Devil'

but He doesn't do that)

to buy a bacon cob

in a crusty white bap

with a fried egg and cheese

and a free coffee.

I considered it

for the length of time it took

to walk past the shop

and far enough away to not turn back

because the smell was wonderful

but I gave up meat

because pigs are as intelligent as dogs

and an octopus even more so

and if I ate pig now

(barring starvation and end-of-world scenarios)

where would it lead?

I've heard the warnings:

one bite of bacon

is a downward slope to snatching babies

and frying them with mushrooms and onions

Society as a whole frowns on that

and bake you to death

in your own kitchen oven.

Friday, 9 October 2026

9th October 2026

telling a lady

she looks fabulous

big smile

No Rosie in Sight

it doesn't matter that you're fragile

you'll get the blame anyway

for their foul mood

you've just got to smile and stand back

and let the man go first

because he can barely stand upright

and needs his lager refunded

so he can buy cider instead.

Thursday, 8 October 2026

8th October 2026

dizzy feeling

as my gait veer to the right

cambered paving

Not a Fetish*

I've been a woman

longer now than ever I was a man

and my family knew I was trans

from as early as I can remember

it's not a fetish -- it's not a fad --

but if my existence threatens you

ask yourself why?

I'm not asking for your money

(except in exchange for art)

I'm not abusive to anyone

and I'm certainly not starting wars

molesting children (or anyone else)

or inciting xenophobia in a nation.

I'm not knocking down a house

that doesn't even belong to me

or falling asleep in meetings

with heads of state and ministries.

I'm not robbing old ladies,

revoking women's rights,

initiating ethnic cleansing,

or going door to door

telling folk that your god hates you.

What I am doing

is spreading some good will,

writing to entertain

and picking up the litter

your local electorate dropped.

And if you're a lesbian woman:

I'm so sorry that you presenting as masc

makes people think you're trans;

but it's hardly my fault

that people you don't know

don't know that you're being you.

*response the the butch lesbian posting she's ashamed to be LGBTQ++

because of all the bastard transfolk it includes.