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

Poetry Library Southbank Centre - The Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre

« Previous item
Contents of this issue
Next item »

Emma-Jane Arkady

print this page

Gamechanging

At ten I sent you fascination in letters,
an invitation to the game
of what if we pushed this to limits and look
isn't it fun in the moon to pretend
and dance on the grave of reason;

but you missed it, the point and sense,
changed it all
lifted a cover with a long pole and forced me
to peer down that sewer,
threatened to let drop the iron slab
on my neck as you held me in demanding.

Don't laugh,
it wasn't a game any more, no fun
in the come and see and isn't it
dark in this catch-as-catch-can running tag
game (not), since you decided,
to show me that you understood more than I,
that you didn't play games,
were a web-enabled grown-up;
knew where to find things.

Mother could not tell the changing
the ending and took it for moods,
did not notice the absent and sallow
the turn and shift to a reticence,
till the failing S.A.T.s, till far too late
and still didn't have a long enough plumbers rod
to work it out;
thought tin foil was for wrapping chocolate.

Back to top