Last night past midnight
a man with a long ratty oil-spill of hair
squatted beside me on the bed &
said he knew my name & I thought
well that’s interesting because
I don’t know it myself
& he told me I was lonely
& that he could see me tomorrow
in the supermarket with an empty bag
in an empty cart
earplugs in, Velvet Underground’s ‘Foggy Notion’
in my skull
& just putting one foot
in front of the other
in the chiller section
& I thought
well that’s interesting
because I can see that too
& indeed I saw it two weeks ago when I did it
you’ll look at vegetables he said
& I thought yes I know I will
you’ll look at nothing he said
& I thought I always do
& anacondas swarmed in slime somewhere
& mothers died slowly
& you felt arms long gone around you again
& fur once warm against your face
& the man said I bless you &
you thought to yourself
I know you do
but I wish you didn’t, now
please leave me alone so I can sleep
again
.
Niall Griffiths
Picture Nick Victor
.