Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

There is no doubting it
people will know you
will go on changing tense
attent as they talk

talk about you still
as if you were present
No husband will be there
but that is nothing new

No playwright for example
will recall the moment you met
bright in his mind forever
you arriving and doing it

always for the first time
and just for him
inevitably like night
set in a black dress

so blatantly tight
it is the way to declare
bearing in mind declaration
is instant and far more now

than insinuation what you
decided to say which was
I have brought my body along
in case you haven’t seen

The best one in any town
Still vital to the young
legend for all ages
Take it and take care

like the man in most libraries
who masturbates as a rule
free while he browses
He would certainly agree

like health chance
favours the prepared body
chance fills both
trousers and blouses

We all agree yours is full
an art that moves, an art
that takes its chance
that makes its form

the lines of life itself
Art that upsets even the tomb
puts bright colours back
on a face that is dead

Confound the mourning tongues
break their liquid pain
Uncork the bungs
with thought wipe the stain

Here it is here the
art that billows and twists
accumulates bends and extends
is humorous blunt and sweet

coarse and stupid and tough
as life itself
Art that crams a vacuum
Art that is not easy

Art that will not grin but will
glower especially when mystery
is done in by power
and not only by death

the death for instance of Monroe
but in life attack it
the power charade     That is
the aim next century Marilyn