Beasts
At the threshold
Rats

Fantastic to be Lowry by proxy,
Confabulating him; to stand tongue-tied
In awe of yourself; to hold epoxy-

Mortared by macerated wood-pulp effluvium,
                                 a paper palace hangs.

The young queen spun her eggs and hatched her grunts.

This is my lawn. I planted it, I grew it, 
and I work hard ensuring it’s attractive. 
I keep it clear of every type of pest.

in the black hood, 
come! Pierce 
my heart

Tonight I can’t remember why
everything is permitted or, 
what amounts to the same thing,

The courtroom, clad in wood veneer,
could be a lesser pharaoh’s tomb
equipped for immortality.

i work for the deputy mayor
of the city of troy

hello, this is paris
i used to teach in cambridge, i’m from whitehall
everything we do is pretty much archaic

besides not being from ancient troy
helen bailey hails from australia