Pictures on a Wall

Crushing up the ice
for the winter party
I used to live for chaos
Now with the outhouse
I know the sound of a climbing bat
How to mow correctly
The more frequently you mow
the denser the lawn will be
Correctly now, she says
Well it’s a start, I say
But what I want
is to hang pictures on a wall

Have you ever owned a trap for a mouse?
In the old days it was a wine bottle
The door a cork closed by hand
Mine’s glass
with a self-closing entrance
that keeps the creature in
It was sold to me
as a highly sensitive catcher
For the sake of the children
I release them into the park
The mice find their way back and often
it’s at a party
Nothing to do with the people
More like the pull
of a petrol station at night

What is the difference between ash
and snow
She asked me in the interview
Where are your awards
and have you ever seen a greenhouse
re-glazed
Surely, I said, in the first instance
one is required to smash every single pane
Her can of cola cracked
Joking aside, I said
Now hand me a brush

I’m hosing down the roof when I think of it
The best arrangements
They come in a daydream
I hear her take a snap
She must only see the base of me
The footprints of my swinging feet
The fine spray of water
Will it reach her