Leisure
It was pleasant to be out of work by choice
no longer a slave
one giant leap out the corporate door
thing is time soon takes hold
and strangles your will
the television becomes your friend who never talks back
and the bed your lazy lover
*****
Nature
The wood pigeon all girth without grace
struggles with the bird feeder
pecking peanuts
knocking seed to the ground
opportunistic sparrows sit under the bird table
taking advantage of the food that falls from above
Not many people bother to feed the birds
so most gardens round our way are lush green lawns
full of cats mess
*****
Morning
I walk by
the Tijuana brass band bites my ears
nine hours float by in a washed out factory
then back I go to my dingy apartment
an image of a woman with a fat belly
confronts me on the sofa
I sit for three hours watching violence and disorder on screen
outside I hear nothing but screeching tyres
from the boy racers who hope that speed will get them laid
it did in my day but we talked about speed in a different way.
At night i'm naked with no aggression
I sleep
until the letterbox wakes me
red letters reminding me about the things i haven't paid for
• Richard Wink is a poet based in Norwich, England. His work has featured here, there and everywhere.
