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No 11 - Winter 1997


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Jane Ormerod email a linkprint this page
Horsedust anger

Later now. Strange animus
A pandapanther. Fustic snorter
Creature is a maundy horse
is mawkish-eared and colic stomping
Splintered legs kick woven mangers
he’s mazy gutted, nervous tethered
Sugar lumped with black-eyed hurt
the swishing tail and swiping hoof
Chapped his hip flanks, hock, his frog
broken kneecap, tightened gag-bit
Gave the man a suffolk punching
kicking maw the bridle spittle
Clotted warm mane, guts volcanic pounded
Chaff is spilling, flinch the bran grain

Humph, woah, settle down, settle down
Cardiac, zeebra up, zebra down

Crash throws round the bellowed leaves
Nose his bag. Dived, pulled it out
Spiralled with the cawing crows poking with
their sharpened beaks
Pierce the tyres beneath the snow
hang the horse tail in the house
Gut the nag with canary eyes
peel the scales off with your teeth
The yellow hovel, stable stall
violet grey, stealing out
Saddened, frightened, frail and lonely
salvage for his sallow mother
Stinking fray, wait, settle down
ragged mane, hepatic smile
Whinny, snorting, raging, losing
Neigh, break, winnow out
Stomach gone, seal me up
Tell the cook. Beneath the stones
cement me down and count me out.

 


page(s) 61-62


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