Snails
Jules Leigh Koch
Snails go out
in the rain
when we come in
Greyer than winter raindrops
they cross
the asphalt
Damp receding flesh
moves with the slightness
of continental drift
Trails betray them
A visible fault line
Their houses are quake proof
Eyes on stalks
They have few other
special effects
Snails live in
run-down
neighbourhoods
Among broken bricks
cracked flower pots
Their house interiors
are all different
The Cow
Margaret Gardner
Her body is filled with the knowledge of age
dusty white coat, speckled in grey
dark eyes filled with motherhood love
with a face showing Solomon’s wisdom of old
the sweetness of Ruth and resignation of Job.
How was your life? I asked Ms Cow
and waited impatiently for her reply.
My Life? she said, quietly with a small moo,
has been filled with green grasses
and large blue skies. I’ve had many a calf
and delivered my sweet milk to you and your kind.
Modern Living
Carolyn Colwell
Deodorant – we use it every day with dedication
for they’ve convinced us, without it we’d be a smelly nation.
We clean our teeth with toothpaste, ghastly tasting stuff,
it burns our tongues, dries our throats and makes our teeth feel rough.
And as I smooth on moisturiser to keep me looking young
I think about, without these products, what I could become.
Would I be old and wrinkly, with smelly underarms
and a decay-ridden smile to detract from my charms?
Well, I’m not game to take the risk. I’ll use them all the time
For they keep the ads on telly, and they give me peace of mind.