William Park
Outsiders
To keep you guessing, my assistant’s
a girl in bra and knickers.
You’ll look at her, while I
cover and uncover
what was never there.
We’re in the trade of deception:
we rip you off politely
and you think it’s amazing.
Come as close as you want.
I’m dirty, but friendly
and I’ve nothing, see.
My eyes are the jewels
and my hands are the money
big shot. I’m not afraid.
Could you sleep by the canal
like this, and still smile?
Adventure. Night-time.
Squeeze your black body
through the window
and you’re in. Valuables
get me going. Blood,
and the time, and the silence:
turn on. The nature of my visit
is in what I’ve left behind.
There’s nothing wrong with me
but I think different. Can’t eat
without being stared at.
Hands shake, and eyes
in my head say: sit on me
I’m no good. Must have something
missing. In the privacy of my room
my talent grows, and I nurture it.
magazine list
- Features
- zines
- 10th Muse
- 14
- Acumen
- Agenda
- Ambit
- Angel Exhaust
- ARTEMISpoetry
- Atlas
- Blithe Spirit
- Borderlines
- Brando's hat
- Brittle Star
- Candelabrum
- Cannon's Mouth, The
- Chroma
- Coffee House, The
- Dream Catcher
- Equinox
- Erbacce
- Fabric
- Fire
- Floating Bear, The
- French Literary Review, The
- Frogmore Papers, The
- Global Tapestry
- Grosseteste Review
- Homeless Diamonds
- Interpreter's House, The
- Iota
- Journal, The
- Lamport Court
- London Magazine, The
- Magma
- Matchbox
- Matter
- Modern Poetry in Translation
- Monkey Kettle
- Moodswing
- Neon Highway
- New Welsh Review
- North, The
- Oasis
- Obsessed with pipework
- Orbis
- Oxford Poetry
- Painted, spoken
- Paper, The
- Pen Pusher Magazine
- Poetry Cornwall
- Poetry London
- Poetry London (1951)
- Poetry Nation
- Poetry Review, The
- Poetry Salzburg Review
- Poetry Scotland
- Poetry Wales
- Private Tutor
- Purple Patch
- Quarto
- Rain Dog
- Reach Poetry
- Review, The
- Rialto, The
- Second Aeon
- Seventh Quarry, The
- Shearsman
- Smiths Knoll
- Smoke
- South
- Staple
- Strange Faeces
- Tabla Book of New Verse, The
- Thumbscrew
- Tolling Elves
- Ugly Tree, The
- Weyfarers
- Wolf, The
- Yellow Crane, The