cheap
this love was battered eventually
it started naked with its scales
shining and its eyes vacant
now they are covered
coated and ready
a flick of batter
to test the temperature
followed by a splash
and disruption of fat
to make this love quickly
the cook wipes his hand
with a stained blue tea-towel
and returns to his till
punching the numbers
with each definite press
£5 for this love
Stephen Daniels is the editor of Amaryllis Poetry. His poetry has been published in numerous magazines and websites. His debut pamphlet Tell Mistakes I Love Them was published in 2017 by V. Press. Find out more at www.stephenkirkdaniels.com