At Work and Talking to You

By Sophie Diver

This empty space is you speaking

(           )

It lands the same way as 

Closed eyes when you sneeze

He is at the edge of an automatic door

The approaching dialogue a doormat 

He was 

born with 

a mouth 

of takeaway 

menus 

(             )

There you go again 

The curl of a vibration drying limp 

Swallowing what curdles hard in your mouth

(             )

How did you end up in debt again?

Agreeing to hear 

It’s red it’s red it’s red 

Again

How can you 

Climb out of your quiet smile?  

Stretch 

Until he has to take a breath in the middle of you

( )

Stretch 

Until you can look at the size of yourself

Coloured-in Midland

Every shade a rip in the down of a farmer’s field

The Trent a balanced spoon  

Sheep scattered like uncooked rice

(                                          )

He says

It’s red it’s red it’s red

You are right

It’s never looked so green