Stone beetle stands at the wooden island
And reads out carefully selected prose from a popular news outlet,
Emphasis placed on words against the victim.
A child dissected under mandibles
Ground down into chewy palatable mess,
Cherry-picked phrases with malicious intent
Insults without direct address.
You know without doubt I will receive these letters
Crouched low on the ***** carpet,
Eyes focussed on scenes of grey escape
Hands shaking in recognition of past mealtimes.
Sticks and my Stone beetle may break my bones
Near the half-ripened bananas,
Forbidden bowl of baked goods

But words have always been your favourite weapon
Words will make me cower beneath your pedestal
Above the wooden island and atop the wicker chair.

Stone beetle how I’d love to see you shatter
Into a million pieces dispersed among the garden gravel
Spread like mulch for the ants to conquer.
See our salty tears now Stone beetle
Fall among rogue weeds like rain in a wasteland

I'll meet you
In the Rothko Chapel
We'll get a private view
I know some people
It'll be no hassle

Fourteen
Big canvas
In various black
We could stay there all week
We might never come back

Or as long as we can't take it
Raw emotion

Mostly dark

Go out through the emergency exit
Into the
Surrounding
Sunlit
Verdant
Park.

In the field of barley
Yellow sun purveyed
A static record of crickets
Light breeze lifts light linen dresses

This afternoon I thought about
teaching you to paint
The dust sheets flew in the wind
And upon the nettles
danced sharp cracks of white plaster
Blue shadows pooled out across the lawn
And I think I loved you