Brian,the fork-lift driver,
tells me over
his
one o’ clock pork pie
that I
should try to
write for a
living
Anyone can do it,he says
All you have to do is paint
paint with words
He points to the river
which flows past the warehouse,
carries the sewage
from the store’s canteen
out to the sea.
I mean, look at that,he says
just look at what you see and paint
it
in words.
Well, alright;
the river is lillied
by carrier bags
and the store sells,
amongst other things,
decorative doorplates
and clips to hold plants
to climbing rods.
Brian once
had an article about geese
published
in a magazine somewhere.
I eat my sandwiches
sit in the sun
and smoke
for an hour
and then go back inside
to shift boxes
and ascertain
that boil-coloured shower curtains
(‘Misty Pink’; it says on the label)
are
priced correctly.
.
Niall Griffiths
Picture Nick Victor
.