(1)
the last petals fall
across an arid plateau
into the silence

[2]
an attached head in bleached pink
lay on the black leather sofa
body hidden under a white duvet
like a decapitated hallucination

[3]
behind bejewelled palisades
the ruse of this broken pediment
crushed into columns of dust

[4]
on the rotting garbage
lay a tin toy soldier
his shiny metal helmut
glinting in the sun
amongst the decay

[5]
as time persisted through
this ill winter of discontent
composed in distortion
and protracted negotiation
between hours of lead
of petals across the miserene —
where once your flowers grew
a substance for tomorrow

(6)
with cold dead eyes
he had sad still eyes
rimmed grey eyes
a lost face
and soft gloves

(7)
by the skin of my teeth
I feel my body and void,
set in motion
station names drift past
from beijing to benelux
a glum shimmer of pouring rain
a tunnel of love
human bodies
I tried hard to remember
a favour that was asked of me
but there was nothing but empty thoughts
a note was passed around the cell
a new note, another new note
a false note in a sad grey city
the mouth opens — words flesh
the decline of memories
in a decade of decades
as the moon begins
to penetrate the sun
we arrive at an urban dead zone
leaning on the numbers
there’s gravel in the latrine
crushed flowers
an exit in ruins
the cicadas in turin sing.