A CATASTROPHIC HABITAT
Nothing works in
my small flat -
it's a catastrophic
habitat,
the key to the flat
won't turn in the door,
the sign says three but
it's really number four,
the letterbox opening's
a millimetre wide -
the doorbell rings
but only outside,
security was fitted
with the burglar proof -
so the thieves broke in
through the leaking roof,
a fire broke out and
the smoke alarm failed,
the wall fell down when
I pulled the curtain rail,
the power cuts are frequent
so I'm often in the dark,
the cat can't meow and
the dog can't bark,
the stereo is broken and
the bathroom mirror cracked,
no signal on the wi-fi --
the extractor wont extract,
the microwave blew --
there's a hole in the bin,
the ceiling fell through and
the goldfish can't swim,
the fridge won't close and
the cupboards don't fit --
like my wrong-sized clothes
and the washing line split,
the rocking chair snapped
and I landed on my head,
I bounced into the bedroom
and I broke the waterbed,
the toaster burns the bread
when the settings on low --
the cork's stuck in the bottle
and the plants won't grow,
the vacuum cleaner won't suck --
the light bulbs have popped,
the superglue has never stuck
and all the clocks have stopped,
they undercut the window panes --
they all have two inch gaps,
the gas pipe burst -- I must be cursed --
the building just collapsed.
THEY'LL NEVER KNOW
THE WAY WE FEEL
They'll never know
the way we feel.
they'll know our names
and what we earn --
our capital gains --
our tax return,
and what we're worth --
our height and weight,
our place of birth --
the time and date,
our number flat --
our fixed abode,
our habitat --
our postal code,
our social links --
our network friends,
the way we think --
how much we spend,
our DNA --
the streets we go,
our resume --
the bills we owe,
our hidden scars --
our blood relation,
where we are --
our information,
star sign -- if
our passport's real --
but they'll never know
the way we feel.
Stephen Philip Druce is based in Shrewsbury UK. He is published in the USA, India, the UK and Canada. He’s written for theatre plays in London and BBC 4 Extra.
Contact: Instagram – @StephenPhilipDruce
.
PLEASE NOTE: ARTICLES CAN ONLY BE REPRODUCED IN OTHER SITES WITH DUE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO BORDERLESS JOURNAL
Click here to access the Borderless anthology, Monalisa No Longer Smiles
Click here to access Monalisa No Longer Smiles on Amazon International
Borderless 