Horse-collar tackle
Awake by the scruff of my neck, not even 3 a.m.,
staring at the ceiling but walking to the shop,
buying cigarettes, praising myself for not being
gins and tonics, doing nothing or placebo drunk,
swaying at the bus stop though perfectly legal,
I could drive the bus and no remand, or hitch
and still chat flawlessly with drivers, though
no dialogue is flawless, not in analogue, false
starts, digression, repetition, always repetition,
and I repent my previous sins, defined in law
as irritants, mostly, the lax campaign I almost
ran, a certain chain of pharmacy, I marshalled
an armful of placards, not liking my reception,
the pollsters told me this, today, was the end
and who do you believe, the brute that ran you
down for a bet or God residing in your veins,
the faith of that, thumb out but nothing, in school
you learned that life was traffic noise, birdsong,
rain, the price of peace is no epiphanies, not
the lightning kind, charred trunk and melted
shoes, my twin sends love, daylight is miles away.
Deduced
The cat dragged in another paradox, in by its teeth, leaving feathers and blood and wanting
to google the answer, I'm terrible at logic puzzles, who sits where and sexual undercurrents,
if I had to bet I would say it was the harpist but I couldn't tell you what weapon she used,
naturally my family are ashamed, world-beating solvers, even then the neighbours go quiet
at the medals in the cabinet, still there's scones however you pronounce them or plain toast
for those unwilling to risk error, as I have been since year dot, or earlier, the problem really,
and correspondents handing back to the anchor as if I didn’t regret that date, that mayhap,
if I'd been told there was dancing I would have stayed at home, learned harp notation,
swayed to my roommate's music, bad commercials for children's food, the cat looking on
aghast. We skipped dessert for the news your sister told you which can't possibly be true.
A.D. Harper's poetry has appeared in The Manchester Review, The Interpreter's House, and bath magg, among others. He lives in England and can be found online at adharper.com
