Steve Spence
WORKING UP A SWEAT
There is a growing
sense of instability.
Has the human
already gifted too
much to the machine?
Eagles catch fish
and fish catch seabirds.
So it goes yet as site
manager he is clearly
culpable and his
sexual charisma
comes as a surprise.
When did you last
construct a scale
model? “We haven’t
even established
a cause of death
yet,” she said.
Sometimes a storm
is just a storm but
in this case even an
offer to resign won’t
get it over the line.
“Everything keeps
changing,” she said.
This deployment is
entirely overt and
limited but signs
will be put up to
show where the
cameras are placed.
“Everything according
to the law, just as you
said,” she said. Did you
know that ninety per
cent of our funding
now relies on public
donations?
TEETERING ON AN EDGE
Getting the balance
right is tricky but it’s
a perfect pick for an
entry-level collector
and this man knows
his phonographs.
“There are objects
here which are toxic
with association,”
she said. Yet we all
know the intense
frustration of being
‘put on hold’ and he’s
not exactly what you’d
call a scholarly person.
Did you not see the
faces on the stairs?
Our volunteers are
going house to house
and elsewhere a clean-
up operation has already
begun. “Apart from
these facts I know
nothing about you
whatsoever,” she said.
Yet the buried fish have
no defence against
an attack and at this
point the experts aren’t
so sure. “It’s a nebulous
but sinister effect we’re
after,” she said. Other
parts of the painting
remain lost but the
damaged ship has at
least provided shelter.
“Your reign of terror is
over and mine is about
to begin,” he said.
A DISCARD POLICY
Another day
passes without
food. “It’s like
a huge golf-ball
in the sky,” she
said, “all that haze
and distortion.”
High winds, heavy
rain, hail and now
it’s thunder and
lightning. Are we
talking about light
waves or light
particles here?
Yet war awakens
a savagery in
people and we’re
pretty sure he
didn’t envisage
his invention being
used for such a
purpose. Many of
our inferential
claims are based
on large amounts
of data. “Facts,”
she said, “all we
need is facts.”
Are you observing
for the sake of
knowledge or is
this part of a
surveillance policy?
Our blue whale
population is on
the increase but
visitors to the site
often complain of
an eerie silence.
A BARGAINING CHIP
A harrier hawk
is hunting. “It’s a
lot of alliteration
for an angry anchor,”
she said. Yet the
surface of the plastic
is too glossy to print
on and it might be
time to stop and
take a breath.
Occasionally our
haul is extremely
dangerous. “We’re
working up a plan,”
he said, “we’re
working up a plan.”
Where did you
learn to be so
sneaky? Are you
retired from active
duty? Names are
growing on the
walls but this is
where they park
the trains and this
guy is surely a
magician. “Our catch
reflects the richness
of these waters,”
she said. With greater
rewards come greater
responsibilities but
we’re talking here
about a lifestyle, not
an addiction. Have you
ever put your name on
a train? Satisfied, we
set our minds to
the task at hand.
WALKING THROUGH A TUNNEL
Was graffiti the great
art of the 1970’s?
“Ah! The perverse
and diverse nature
of desire,” she said.
Nobody ever knows
what goes on in
somebody else’s
head but it looks
like a pile of junk to
me. Who are the real
beneficiaries of this
war? “It’s a twenty-
eight-inch razorblade,”
he said. These brutal
actions are thought-
out, planned and
systematic. “Anyone
daring to cross will
be shot on sight,”
he said. Whatever
happened to the
wreckage? There
was a period when
it looked as if graffiti
would take over the
world yet we are still
making twenty-eight
million plastic bags a
day and here we have
a bar of solid muscle.
“It’s two ‘f’s’ and one
‘t’, he said. Are we all
speaking future babble?
It may be vandalism
but it’s clever and we’re
still talking about the
inevitability of global-
isation. “I felt like I
should stop and take
a breath,” she said.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Back in the day
gaudy was good.
“I know, let’s build
a road across the
desert,” she said.
Does this only
happen in intensive
farming systems?
A passing ship
reported seeing
a mid-air explosion
but no bodies or
wreckage was ever
found. What are we
doing below the
surface? “Unstable
bedrock presents
a challenge to
builders but it’s
an adventure,
the path less taken,”
she said. It’s an
ordinary floor but
it’s covered in straw.
“Red pepper and
cheese,” she said,
“red pepper and cheese.”
It’s always a question
of proportion and by
the way, don’t forget
the foreshortening.
“One in four jobs
here are paying
below the minimum
wage,” she said.
A STATE OF AGITATION
Once again
we have been
forced to move
on. “These are
clichés, not
policies,” she
said. It’s an
open and
transparent
negotiation
but do reef
sharks really
feed at night?
“Now you’re
being deliberately
obscure,” he said.
What sort of
dreams are you
having? Are we
withdrawing or
are we running
away? “We’re
adding an extra
layer of defence,”
he said. Meanwhile,
they stare into the
night, preparing
their eyes for the
dark. There are
many witnesses
but the military
investigators have
waved them off.
Did you know
that colour patterns
often advertise
toxicity? “It looks
as though the
crocodiles are
back,” she said.
There is a growing
sense of instability.
Has the human
already gifted too
much to the machine?
Eagles catch fish
and fish catch seabirds.
So it goes yet as site
manager he is clearly
culpable and his
sexual charisma
comes as a surprise.
When did you last
construct a scale
model? “We haven’t
even established
a cause of death
yet,” she said.
Sometimes a storm
is just a storm but
in this case even an
offer to resign won’t
get it over the line.
“Everything keeps
changing,” she said.
This deployment is
entirely overt and
limited but signs
will be put up to
show where the
cameras are placed.
“Everything according
to the law, just as you
said,” she said. Did you
know that ninety per
cent of our funding
now relies on public
donations?
TEETERING ON AN EDGE
Getting the balance
right is tricky but it’s
a perfect pick for an
entry-level collector
and this man knows
his phonographs.
“There are objects
here which are toxic
with association,”
she said. Yet we all
know the intense
frustration of being
‘put on hold’ and he’s
not exactly what you’d
call a scholarly person.
Did you not see the
faces on the stairs?
Our volunteers are
going house to house
and elsewhere a clean-
up operation has already
begun. “Apart from
these facts I know
nothing about you
whatsoever,” she said.
Yet the buried fish have
no defence against
an attack and at this
point the experts aren’t
so sure. “It’s a nebulous
but sinister effect we’re
after,” she said. Other
parts of the painting
remain lost but the
damaged ship has at
least provided shelter.
“Your reign of terror is
over and mine is about
to begin,” he said.
A DISCARD POLICY
Another day
passes without
food. “It’s like
a huge golf-ball
in the sky,” she
said, “all that haze
and distortion.”
High winds, heavy
rain, hail and now
it’s thunder and
lightning. Are we
talking about light
waves or light
particles here?
Yet war awakens
a savagery in
people and we’re
pretty sure he
didn’t envisage
his invention being
used for such a
purpose. Many of
our inferential
claims are based
on large amounts
of data. “Facts,”
she said, “all we
need is facts.”
Are you observing
for the sake of
knowledge or is
this part of a
surveillance policy?
Our blue whale
population is on
the increase but
visitors to the site
often complain of
an eerie silence.
A BARGAINING CHIP
A harrier hawk
is hunting. “It’s a
lot of alliteration
for an angry anchor,”
she said. Yet the
surface of the plastic
is too glossy to print
on and it might be
time to stop and
take a breath.
Occasionally our
haul is extremely
dangerous. “We’re
working up a plan,”
he said, “we’re
working up a plan.”
Where did you
learn to be so
sneaky? Are you
retired from active
duty? Names are
growing on the
walls but this is
where they park
the trains and this
guy is surely a
magician. “Our catch
reflects the richness
of these waters,”
she said. With greater
rewards come greater
responsibilities but
we’re talking here
about a lifestyle, not
an addiction. Have you
ever put your name on
a train? Satisfied, we
set our minds to
the task at hand.
WALKING THROUGH A TUNNEL
Was graffiti the great
art of the 1970’s?
“Ah! The perverse
and diverse nature
of desire,” she said.
Nobody ever knows
what goes on in
somebody else’s
head but it looks
like a pile of junk to
me. Who are the real
beneficiaries of this
war? “It’s a twenty-
eight-inch razorblade,”
he said. These brutal
actions are thought-
out, planned and
systematic. “Anyone
daring to cross will
be shot on sight,”
he said. Whatever
happened to the
wreckage? There
was a period when
it looked as if graffiti
would take over the
world yet we are still
making twenty-eight
million plastic bags a
day and here we have
a bar of solid muscle.
“It’s two ‘f’s’ and one
‘t’, he said. Are we all
speaking future babble?
It may be vandalism
but it’s clever and we’re
still talking about the
inevitability of global-
isation. “I felt like I
should stop and take
a breath,” she said.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Back in the day
gaudy was good.
“I know, let’s build
a road across the
desert,” she said.
Does this only
happen in intensive
farming systems?
A passing ship
reported seeing
a mid-air explosion
but no bodies or
wreckage was ever
found. What are we
doing below the
surface? “Unstable
bedrock presents
a challenge to
builders but it’s
an adventure,
the path less taken,”
she said. It’s an
ordinary floor but
it’s covered in straw.
“Red pepper and
cheese,” she said,
“red pepper and cheese.”
It’s always a question
of proportion and by
the way, don’t forget
the foreshortening.
“One in four jobs
here are paying
below the minimum
wage,” she said.
A STATE OF AGITATION
Once again
we have been
forced to move
on. “These are
clichés, not
policies,” she
said. It’s an
open and
transparent
negotiation
but do reef
sharks really
feed at night?
“Now you’re
being deliberately
obscure,” he said.
What sort of
dreams are you
having? Are we
withdrawing or
are we running
away? “We’re
adding an extra
layer of defence,”
he said. Meanwhile,
they stare into the
night, preparing
their eyes for the
dark. There are
many witnesses
but the military
investigators have
waved them off.
Did you know
that colour patterns
often advertise
toxicity? “It looks
as though the
crocodiles are
back,” she said.
© Copyright Steve Spence 2020
Steve Spence is joint-coordinator (with Norman Jope) of the Plymouth Language Club, which has organised many poetry readings/events in the city during the past 20 years. His poems have most recently been published in the International Times, Stride and in Litter online. His reviews feature fairly regularly in Stride, Tears in the Fence and Litter. His most recent collection of poetry was Many Red Fish (Knives, Forks and Spoons 2019).