To live by the sea
To live alone
To live in LA
To lie by a sleeping body
Sleepy eyes re-
guarding
me
Gardening growing unstunted un-
furling
But:
Dry
Gourd
Hoarding.
– No good mourning a moaner! –
But:
Sucking climbing tendril feeling too much pulling at
Defences up
and down the line
Laughing loud
Eyes wide
An imagined camera spotlight gaze
A paintbrush poised
The stars and sun look down on
poor
orphaned
islanded
one.
Conspicuous consump
Noxious assump
Dump dumb
– Oh, for some quiet! –
But:
Unhearing maid
Hollow halls
Verbose weeping
The clatter of too many shoes
You’re not no Cinderella here.

(c) Vera Chok 2014