Joanna Watson
Ink-Blotting
Face to face: he scans filed words,
prepares to trawl my mind, jot more.
His eyes look up, meet mine;
soft creases wing his opening smile
inviting me to speak.
He sits and stares
with fish-glazed eyes.
I watch him listen,
nod, mmm, question,
scrutinise. I prickle, pause …
glance up from ridged buff socks
to furrowed brow. Grey crescents sag
beneath his probing eyes.
He blinks himself invisible,
becomes an ink-blot.
And there I ponder,
see through doctor:
father, lover, wilful child,
chastising teacher,
bear which hums or growls.
And still he stares.
He sucks his pen; I wonder
does the man behind these Rorschach
smudges toast or cornflake?
Does he dine on Bach or jazz?
Is his whiskered hedge
just camouflage
or allergy to razors?
Does he oil or iron his wrinkles?
How often does he wash his dreams?
Page(s) 22
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- 14
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- Lamport Court
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- North, The
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- Paper, The
- Pen Pusher Magazine
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- Poetry London (1951)
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- Poetry Salzburg Review
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- Rialto, The
- Second Aeon
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- Shearsman
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- Staple
- Strange Faeces
- Tabla Book of New Verse, The
- Thumbscrew
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- Ugly Tree, The
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- Wolf, The
- Yellow Crane, The