Jane Kirwan
Stealing the Eiffel Tower
She carried it back on the ferry
in Safeway bags. Convincing Customs
the longer girders were for catching
butterflies, she hid the WD40
she’d used to loosen the rivets.
It was bigger than she thought.
Two legs straddled the house,
the third beyond the phone box
and the fourth by Mrs Hussain’s
washing line proving useful
for young Leroy’s socks.
She painted it chrome yellow,
made the platforms revolve.
But even though she sat at the top
on a striped beach chair, offering
free baguettes and brie, no-one said:
You’ve brought a little piece of France to Peckham.
Dragging herself down the 1,792 steps
she suddenly saw her mistake.
It was a rusting puff, no passion.
She collected chisels, mallets,
fleece-lined boxes for the semi-precious
stones, bought a ticket to Delhi.
She’d bring the Taj Mahal to Burgess Park.
Page(s) 52
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