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

Do you wanna be someone else
          who hasn’t got a two bit toe
                              to tap on a string.
          who hasn’t got flowers or herbs
                              or anything else to bring
          when she cones
                    to your place in space
                              to dance or sing?

Do you wanna be free of the need
          to be wild as a lion prancing
                              in a tattered dress
          with flashing red hair on her neck
                              and a bow at her waist
          stamping bare feet
                    in the face of the floor
                              splintering?

Do you wanna escape -
          with your tomato smooth skin,
                              not join the fracas on the floor?
          Let the cold rain put the candles out,
                              let your hot heart pause --
          for already
                    you are just one more
                              dancer falling down.

What are your world’s chances
          of spinning slowly through the darkness
                              to a safer sahara,
          of turning over
                              to a better moulded blue balloon?
          Does your clown voice
                    sing sweetly enough
                              to help change …
                                        the tune?

Do you wanna let go, do you wanna float
          beneath the water
                              in a winding white dress?
          Do you wanna breathe a different air,
                              be a flatfish
          hiding
                    on the mottled bottom
                              of the soft soaped ocean?

Do you wanna dream of dolphins leaping
          without ungracious greed
                              for a slithery moon sea,
          without milky molten seed
                              for your new field of corn,
          without a need
                    for a bouncy-ball baby
                              to be born?

Do you wanna cry for a bird
          to fill the hole in your heart
                              that is blind as the wide night sky?
          Do you wanna shout for the wind
                              to lift your wings
          so you can be
                    any number of things
                              in this last flung time?

Do you want a licence to change your game
          to a day glo name
                              so you won’t be frightened babe,
          so you won’t be ashamed
                              to tell the hell hounds tonight
          it wasn’t you,
                    not really you,
                              who called around ...
                                        before?