Sharon posts a photo of her new baby
on social-media and
Nasty-Jim comments
“That’s an ugly baby!”
Sharon feels shocked, insulted, appalled.
She hugs her baby protectively,
feeling hurt.

Sharon posts a photo of her new baby
on social-media and
Civil-Sheryl comments
“Congratulations on your beautiful baby!”
Sharon feels joyful and happy.
She hugs her baby warmly
kisses him on the head
and says “I love you little one”.

someone else?
someone same?
a person, still?
a person, sane?

dry me out
critique is that
which denies
tangential arcs

do you
see me
trying?

if a meat
will be a meat
i will be
wet as i can

In ancient woodland
this child roamed,
lost in nature,
briar & loam.
Mapping clearings,
badger setts,
the places where
the deer had slept.
Picking berries
hops & flowers,
lying under
stripling bowers.
Until evening's
amber gloam,
with twiggy hair
racing home.

You’re a snake waiting in the grass to strike
fangs dripping with toxic anticipation
your false concern does not deceive me
you are exposed
your hightsned sense ominous
I watch your ears ***** as I enter the room
i anticipate your strike
again and again you will fall short of your target
underestimation is my calling card
the time has come to twist your neck into the mirror
before I rip it off
I am welded in truth, in Christendom
take your beedy eyes and small puppet mind out of the hive;
and what have you got?
The scales on your eyes
are firmly planted in
its time to scrape up all the grace
hold my head high

im giving your **** right back

return to sender is the email
and ******* is the reply.

if pictures are worth thousands of words
then I have read I library
my eyes roll
with the constant scroll
of social media staring