WALKING THE DOGS

as a young child
at primary school
in the New Forest
I was fascinated
by the large lorries
with large suction attachments
you used to come
to the school
every week
to pump out
the school toilets
 
and one day
I went home
and told my parents
that
when I grew up
I wanted to be
a lavatory man
 
now
having spent much
of my adult life
working shitty jobs
for crap pay
I walk two dogs
for an elderly
friend of mine
 
this involves
picking up their shit
and it makes me
feel good to know
that in my
early sixties
I have finally
at least partially
achieved
my childhood ambition


* Colin Cross lives in Norwich and is a regular IS&T contributor