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

They are the wolves
in sheet steel clothing
- Meat seeking whore heads
in the cities’ industrial
disintegrating target range
of tyre bays, loading ramps
scrapyards and abattoirs
- Homing in on Jack the Lads
with swarf of burning brass
in the idleness of their eyes
and herds of new paid ponies
kicking out the stitching
of their cowboy jeans

They ride the merry go rounds
of urban ring roads
and the suspense of bridges
over gulfs of automatic rivers
Threading through nameless
streets of samelessness
hung from lamps of fear
and pissed tensed alleyways
cut from the speeding edge
of predatory vision

Arcing past the asteroidal
cold sulphur scars
of all night service stations
corner cafes of grated light
and rows of bottled music
smashed on neon pavements
Weaving the mourning wastes
of heavy duty labour gangs
among the rutting J.C.B.’s
and pools of leaden cranes
Through all the troughs
and trenches of disconsolation
the pressed metal reptiles
of flash and legal fraud
drive down daily with their wares
The armfuls of gold and silver
that turn to swag in sunlight
The delivery of tomfoolery
which accentuates the fools

Burrowing deep
into the poisoned hearts
inside an envycoloured limousine
dealing fast and turning tails
wheeling with the soft shoe
stolen gear shift shuffle
They rise up from the jungle
counting wads of monkeys
behind the smirking hiss
of smooth electric windows
sliding finger bitten shut
Then having gorged themselves
on greed and gullibility
they put the choking taste
of fume filled hyperspace
between their rear lights
and the natives of tyre bays
In case of swift reprisals
- the dull revenge of slaves
released in sudden storms
of fists and glass
and pick axe handles
- When the chains of leaden gilt
have ceased to shine
upon their greasy palms.