Thursday, 18 September 2025

18th September 2025

 


State visit

convicted felon and suspected kiddie fiddler

objectors arrested.


© Rachel Green September 2025


my parent's house had a downstairs toilet that

had bare painted walls and quarry tiled floor

one small window, left open for the cat

to come and go, and solid boarded door.

A lock designed to work with single thumb

which slid a bolt into a waiting mortice

but as a child I was weak and dumb

and locked unsuspecting anything amiss.

An hour or two, until my dad with rod and pole,

fed through the window onto stubborn lock

applied sufficient pressure for the goal

of freeing me, and relishing the chance to mock.

Years later, I painted murals on those walls:

Fat Freddy's Cat, Jerry Cornelius, beloved Joni*

and my father didn't care, but didn't love them all;

accepted I was weird and just a little lonely.


© Rachel Green September 2025


*Mitchell



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