Liz Atkin
Lament
First they evicted the kittiwakes
from their Baltic Mill roost,
then they netted all buildings
in a see-through Christo frenzy
to rid the city
of its so-called flying rats.
They’re ankle deep in old chips now,
curry sauce and gaudy kebab,
the street sweepers cannot cope
as weekend vomit clogs the gutters,
and there’s a rumour
that pigeon milk mixed
with fine feathers and liquid shit
holds the ancient masonry together.
Now in this crumbling city
one or two oddly dressed can be seen
standing still as statues
in the filthy park,
their outstretched palms stippled
with grain, and faces upturned
pleading with an empty sky.
Page(s) 13
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