The fickle flame
Swaying on tiptoe, a reluctant ballerina in mounting discomfort,
past the midnight hour, shivering in a bath towel in mid-winter,
leaning against a drafty, uncurtained window for support,
I yearn for the all-embracing warmth of a hot shower.
The shampoo in my unwashed hair begins to trickle
into my eyes as I fumble for the ignition button of my boiler. Heady
with discovery I press passionately for the flame to rekindle,
remembering to press repeatedly and hold until flame is steady –
As directed in the instruction manual, now inscribed in my memory.
One finger glued to the redeeming button, I am afraid of losing
the fickle flame that goes out, again and again. Though weary,
I woo patiently, pressing incessantly, tired fingers keep aching.
I pirouette with joy when the boiler shudders back to life.
If only I had a button to restore belief, banish chaos and strife.
Page(s) 34
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