Karaoke Queen
 
Blue streaks in her hair
To match her top.
Face no longer dull but
sparkling with the joy of singing.
Kids queue up to
the lady with beautiful rippled brilliant white hair,
who repeats in her soft Geordie voice their choice of song
and with gravity takes them down along with their names
for the karaoke queen.
 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 

I don’t like coke
 
“Cups ready for coke”
“I don’t like coke”
The words judder out.
“It’s all we’ve got
Look everyone else is having some.”
 
The others sit compliant
edging the table, blanched
by the unhomely lights.
You eat and retire to your compact room
setting to work quietly smearing the walls

You say most eloquently
exactly what you think
of that drink. I silently agree working
slowly and deftly with gloves,
bucket, water and sponge.


* Sonia Jarema describes herself as an allotmenteer living on the edge of London and has recently performed her first public reading of her poetry.