In Lagos with Yannis Ritsos
seagulls the size of grief
strut around the car park
stoned dog Sambuka waking
in the arms of a German keyboard player
man with balloons passes
from one end of the square to the other
he brings happiness to the people
at what cost to him and Yannis Ritsos
taps his multi-coloured socks
and shoes to the beat of the jam
sun cream in eyes
brings fresh tears
sea moving
green blue green
she went to the beach without towel
and sat on her flip flops
umbrella flies
man kisses a lilo
little girl plays on the dunes
face on a packet of sugar
passed out covered in beer
with Ritsos in the square
thank goodness for the three angels
packet of sugar and water
ending a novel his name was August
as he talked he was making love
as I came out of the lift she said
do you know where you are going?
never realized till this visit
that this was another end of the line
no reason to live but I want to anyway: T-shirt
I want to be able to fly
bumping into the lady in the wheelchair
Dulce Pontes singing fado opposite the moon
big fires on
sea all night
teddy on packet of sugar
falling into glass of water
warning against children drowning
snails octopus squid prawns clam
found his mother in the car
after she committed suicide
his sister tried
north wind is kind strokes your chin
Ritsos lying on the balcony
to dry covered in sand and beers
old lady speaks to me
in her language I understand
he washes his socks
in the fountain
north south
forgotten words
as he’s coming she’s going
4 am woke his father to go out hunting
took breakfast to his wife
and carried her to the toilet
two poodles kiss
man cuts rind from his lemon
she’s taking you for a ride
fireworks end of summer
all night beach party from my bed
talking with August
beams of light
full moon in Lagos
child holds a dolphin on a string
stranger buys him an ice cream
he’s slept on the beach for eight months
and worked in the kitchen for 17 years
disapproving mother
whose children love her?
watching him play piano
all night just one number
curtains become sails
and the whole room embarks
emerging from the double glazing
does it have to make sense
how they hold
themselves against the wind
painted ladies walk home
after night’s work on the street
old lady closes her shop
drug addict and dog
candlelight at night
on a balcony stars flicker
ghost walks the beach
falls and breaks her glasses
barbeque boats have gone to sleep
moon half full
little fishing boat about to set sail
old lady brings food to dogs in the square
he paints in blue across the pavement
his tongue moves in unison with the brush
little tissue that holds the sandwich
and stops the grease
sea constructing shades of green
what if I saw you again?
breeze eases its way inside
lying on the floor reading Ritsos
flags climbing ladders
breathe let go
door is a paint box
figs for a friend
looking for the three angels who picked
me up off the floor
man’s balloon bike has stabilizers
he cycles up the street saying if you please
people last night eating at the next table
pass by and smile inside outside
4 am rows his small boat
under the paper moon
fly joins me for breakfast
light on my face
child learning its verbs
in another language
living in the light change
preferring to be on the inside
on a boat grilling dourada
three angels on bikes from the great escape
today more light
seagull prints tyre tracks vanish
how the waves hold themselves so tightly
then crash
Adega da Marina restaurant
body full of salt sand and towel between feet
last meal and Ritsos would be happy
bread olives fish potatoes
same fly joins me for lunch
I fall at the beginning this time not at the end
Page(s) 32-36
magazine list
- Features
- zines
- 10th Muse
- 14
- Acumen
- Agenda
- Ambit
- Angel Exhaust
- ARTEMISpoetry
- Atlas
- Blithe Spirit
- Borderlines
- Brando's hat
- Brittle Star
- Candelabrum
- Cannon's Mouth, The
- Chroma
- Coffee House, The
- Dream Catcher
- Equinox
- Erbacce
- Fabric
- Fire
- Floating Bear, The
- French Literary Review, The
- Frogmore Papers, The
- Global Tapestry
- Grosseteste Review
- Homeless Diamonds
- Interpreter's House, The
- Iota
- Journal, The
- Lamport Court
- London Magazine, The
- Magma
- Matchbox
- Matter
- Modern Poetry in Translation
- Monkey Kettle
- Moodswing
- Neon Highway
- New Welsh Review
- North, The
- Oasis
- Obsessed with pipework
- Orbis
- Oxford Poetry
- Painted, spoken
- Paper, The
- Pen Pusher Magazine
- Poetry Cornwall
- Poetry London
- Poetry London (1951)
- Poetry Nation
- Poetry Review, The
- Poetry Salzburg Review
- Poetry Scotland
- Poetry Wales
- Private Tutor
- Purple Patch
- Quarto
- Rain Dog
- Reach Poetry
- Review, The
- Rialto, The
- Second Aeon
- Seventh Quarry, The
- Shearsman
- Smiths Knoll
- Smoke
- South
- Staple
- Strange Faeces
- Tabla Book of New Verse, The
- Thumbscrew
- Tolling Elves
- Ugly Tree, The
- Weyfarers
- Wolf, The
- Yellow Crane, The