Sandre Clays

Lucifer had misplaced his horns
cursed with an absent mind
instead he donned a crown of thorns
and thought he looked divine.

But the barbs took root inside his head
effecting a subtle change
while all his imps were fearful
that he'd become deranged.

For declaring that the temperature
of hell was rather hot
he demanded air conditioning installed
at every single spot.

Instead of...

The girl upon the podium has gold
she ran her heart out for it
and now they are playing
her country's anthem.
Gazing straight ahead
she stiffens her shoulders,
struggles, fails to control the emotion
coursing smoothly down her cheeks
like pearls,
the intrusion of a thought that
mother always said pearls were
for tears, not gold.
The music stops, slowly
she turns, smiles, waves,
salut...

Status symbol
or just flash
but something
sinister about
elongated shapes
as if they
had been drawn
on the rack.
They crawl
on, occupants
behind yawning
shades, haughty
as Mafia Godfathers,
complete with
jewelled minders,
complacent
as city fat cats
relaxed
against the padding,
aloof as film
divas, ice icons,
Garboesque,
who wish
to ride alone.
I should feel
honoured to w...

Two up, two down and barely space for us all
crammed in the back bedroom, the larger
front one was for its owner,
my mother, both her lodger and carer.
The old lady's relatives announced they would
visit soon but she hardly recognised them.
I was forced to share her table. They said
she liked the company of children.
but as I watched her helped on and off the commode
her potty chair, I f...