Royston Swarbrooke
Baaaaaaa
I am known as the black sheep of the family
not because I am distanced through
rebellion, anti-social habits, choice of work
or bad haircuts.
The reason is that I was born a sheep
a black sheep.
It’s rarely mentioned
we’re English after all.
Good for jumpers, door stops
but difficult on beach holidays.
Difficult for my family
living in south-east London.
Difficult when my nature activist
sister brought home Body Shop
mint jelly deodorant.
Tricky when my uncle who
works for Dewhurst brings around lamb chops.
Not easy getting into the top bunk on caravan holidays.
My older brother always pretends not to notice
taking me out to gigs
Radiohead at Brixton Academy
too much strobe, sheep fear the strobe effect.
But when the crowd broke the crash barriers
he said ‘stop behaving like sheep’.
Easy for you to say
I thought.
Page(s) 65
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- Rialto, The
- Second Aeon
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- Tabla Book of New Verse, The
- Thumbscrew
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- Ugly Tree, The
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- Yellow Crane, The