As a trick, I taught my parrot,
to say "I love you" to my girl,
the parrot took it quite in earnest,
started to believe, it's in love with her!

Sister Bernadette
came rushing
across the grass
to where Anne

was screaming
about the pain
in her amputated leg
sitting next to you

by the small white table
where does it hurt?
Sister Bernadette asked
in the leg

Anne screamed
but the leg’s been amputated
the sister said
lifting the hem

of Anne’s skirt
showing space
where once a leg
had been

you turned
your head away
Malcolm was swinging
on the swing

his hands gripping
the steel chains
on either side
as he rode his ride

I know the ******* leg’s gone
Anne screamed
but it still hurts
language

in front of the children
Sister Bernadette said
I’ll speak to Matron
and see what she says

and off the sister went
leaving Anne following her
with her deep eyes
you looked back at Anne

taking in her dark hair
plaited into two plaits
I think they call it
a phantom leg

you said
what is?
Anne said
turning and staring at you

a limb amputated
but still causing pain
you said
what you a doctor now Skinny Kid?

no
you said
just saying what I read
some place

forget it
she said
hand me my crutches
you handed her her crutches

and she stood up
and crutched herself away
towards the far end
of the garden

come on Skinny Kid
she said
let’s go catch the sea
coming in or going out

and breathe some salt air
ok
you said
running to catch her up

her one leg
swinging forward
a lonesome traveller
across the well mown lawn

her naked thigh and calf
showing as the skirt rose
in motion
and filling the air

like a gull cry
her bellowing laugh.

Mamie met you
in the base camp bar

in Malaga
her curly red hair

damp from a recent shower
and said

Picasso was born here  
In this bar?

you said
No

she moaned
In the city

in 1881
and she took the drink

you’d bought her
I like Picasso don’t you?

she asked
taking a sip

of the drink
and you noticed

the tight tee shirt
snugly holding

her firm *******
and her eyes bright

as sunlight’s breaking dawn
yes

you said
I like his later work

not the Blue
or Pink period or

that Cubist *****
and your eyes

slipped downwards
along her slender frame

the tight blue jeans
caressing her small

but plumpish ***
her fingers holding

the glass
and you thinking

of other things
far removed

from Picasso‘s art
though knowing he

would understand
where your mind

had wandered
and what the scene

your mind had set
like some dramatist

preparing for a play
she sipped more

of the drink
her head thrown back

the nice turn
of the neck

the chin
the nose

the ears protruding slight
between her red

and curly hair
and wondered deep

as you drank your own
if the other hair below

between her thighs
was as red and tight

as that above
and she said

breaking through
your thoughts

Was it lust or love
that moved his brush

Picasso I mean?
and oh you mused

taking on her words
and squeezing

the meaning
from each syllable

that was uttered
on her breath

to lay my head
upon her breast

not to sleep
but dreaming rest

and you turning to her
said High love or low lust

fed by his fond muse
moved his brush I trust.

The ECTs
were performed

in a small room
off the locked ward

where the patient
would be strapped down

on a bed
injected

then wired up
then they turned on

the juice
and it was

in that room
you came round

to find Christine
lying on another bed

her head
slightly turned

clothed in a white
nightgown

her hair in disarray
you felt heavy

as if someone
had hammered

your head
light leaked

at the sides
of the black shutters

over the window
Christine opened her eyes

and saw you there
I feel ******

she said
me too

you replied
I feel as if I’m a ghost

and no one’s
told me I died

she looked around
the room

in the half light
then at her bare feet

no sign of nails
she said

but I feel as if crucified
as if my brain’s

been fried
her words hung

in the air
like young birds

on their first flight
lingering

momentarily there
it’s meant

to help you forget
you said

meant to wipe out
that aspect

that causes the pain
like being jilted

at the altar?
she said

like standing in front
of all those people

like some dressed up ****?
yes like that

you said
well it hasn’t worked

she said
looking at you

her eyes fixed
with that stare

as if she’d been emptied
and wasn’t really there

love’s a cruel disease
you uttered

your lips barely moving
your eyes drinking her in

her hair
her pale features

her white gown
her legs

and feet
naked

why did he jilt me?
she asked

no idea
you replied

he lied
she said

he’s a fool
you stated

I’d not have left you
but he did

she breathed out
that’s the rub

you said
that the nail

that enters deepest
her eyes watered

and she put out a hand
and touched yours

hanging at the side
of your bed

where you were  
strapped down

two ****** people
she muttered

both half dead
outside the room

a radio played
voices talked

someone sang
out of tune

they’ll be coming
to unfetter us

she said
quite soon.