Christopher Barnes


Propaganda

36 

Vroomed by — 
A half-turn.
Random shot to eminence.
Mugginess quickened, fervent.
Plane crashed into whitecaps.  

     *

Vroomed by
             turn
              shot
                                   fervent
                             whitecaps

     *

Kismet vroomed by —
Wrong-turn.
Gamester shot — peevish. 
Dread unshifting, fervent.
Avoided low-ebbed whitecaps. 



37

Self-possessed evening, diffused.
Muscatel gulped, we quit.
Loudspeakers roared.
Fume-thickening corroded nostrils.
Overshadows ignited red.

     *

                                        diffused
                                   quit
                        roared
Fume-thickening
                      Ignited red

     *

Precinct’s hubbub diffused,
swarms quit.
Their warplanes roared.
Fume-thickening blind eyed,
asphalt ignited red.



38

Lips cricked with panic.
Tattery drift, rubble.
Searchlights hastened — 
Vicious unseemly glares.


     *


Lips
Tattery
                   hastened
                           glares


     *


Lips stiffen, soundless. 
Tattery clobbered paupers.
Rescuers hastened.
A bonesetter glares.



39

Mortified spectators on iron bridge.
Flat rat-a-tats.
Lurid whistles hurtled.
Craters defeated paths.
Glass unhinged.

     *

              spectators
Flat
        whistles
                          paths
Glass

     *

Spectators intoxicated.
Flat ums and ahs.
Nightfall whistles, melodious.
Vanishing ragged paths.
Air-nips turned glass.



40

Hollow in multiplex,
Thrown-about studwork.
Audience giggled.
Constables pointed freight
By dint of ruins.
  
     *

            in multiplex
                     studwork
              giggled
                               freight
     dint

     *

Real-hoot flick in multiplex,
B-list studwork.
Seam-bursting house giggled.
Alfresco freight tinkles,
Dint warps crossroad.

Christopher Barnes' first collection LOVEBITES was published by Chanticleer Press. He read for ProudWORDS lesbian and gay writing festival each year of its existence, co-edited the poetry magazine Interpoetry, and partakes in workshops.

 
 

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