TO BARRY
Sonnet 1
Barry, you took to dressing up in bold
Bright yellow, silver stripes and stuff,
Like the man for the job:
Highest visibility on the bus!
Yet, in good faith, some would say:
'Ere Barry, why do you take the mickey
Out of workers with bad teeth and goofy face?
Your funny ways do make my tummy dicky.
But I in awe of you, dare not be so bold,
Hide under wig and glasses, pinny too,
My gay persona suits the young and old,
Makes men woo Mabel; mangles you.
If you do seek what you do hide
So visible yourself, that sight itself denied.
Mabel (Shakespeare) Watson
A Poem and Frock from Anna-May Laugher
We Cherries here in the DC Editorial Tower in the Outlet Mall, Swindon, love it when great poets send us pressies! Ursula, Sue Vickerman, Anna-May Laugher (featured here) and myself went for one giant nosh up in Swindon before descending upon the BlueGate Poets and Artswords Open Mic night. I think Ursula ate 9 tenths of the supper, but that's for another day. Anna-May mentioned she'd bought a dress with Flamingos on it, Ursula's favourite. Urs dropped to the floor (9 tenths of it) and we revived her with sprinkly water, the bubbly type. When she came too, Anna-May promised to send it to her and was good to her word! Not many poets these days can claim that. I reckon, if UP loses 9 tenths of her body weight she might just get in it...good luck Urs! With a squeeze...you'll look fabulous.
And, not only a dress, and a letter...but a rather brilliant poem too...we love you Anna-May! Thanks. This poem will be included in Domestic Cherry 2...so look out for it my little flamingo cherry types of poetry.
The Transformative Monochrome Dress
No riotous pink
for Ursula today,
she chose to borrow
from flamingo ghosts;
not their feathers,
but their shapes.
By dead of night
she made a gown
in which to speak.
Ursula took their tongues,
not as Roman amuse bouches.
She used them for her poetry;
Spoke with all the confidence of craft.
Behind each phrase, a slight disturbance,
the flex and whip of wings.
Crustacea, algae from Flamingo Lake,
turning her language roseate.
Anna-May Laugher
The Three Tenas
Two thin ones daytime sandbag surprises
filigree strands of gossamer
spiderweb my nethers
against coughs and sneezes
and 'Last of the Summer Wine' on Sundays.
A big fat one night time soaks car sponge style
Nessun Dorma
skating rubber undersheets
through the dark night of the soul.
Ursula Pitt 2011
