circumference
words do not suit
do not fit the towns i travel to
i’ve this habit
of locating new neighbours
with different physiognomies
*
always
there are uniforms on the march
intractable comic heroes
in animal disguises i say very little
i spend time leaping afternoon encounters
*
my father isn’t to be ignored
he lives in the circumference
of a mirror always
watching
rubbing one face against another
Iain Britton is an Aotearoa New Zealand poet and author of several poetry collections. His work has been nominated for a Forward Prize for Best Single Poem and Best First Collection. Poems have been published in such magazines as Harvard Review, Poetry, The New York Times, Stand, Agenda, New Statesman, Prototype, New Humanist. THE INTAGLIO POEMS was published by Hesterglock Press 2017. A new chapbook – Project Constellation – has just been launched by the London publisher Sampson Low.