THE WELKIN KNELL
MY FAMILY WENT AWAY WHEN I LIFT THE ETHYL
[ME, I THINK THEY ENVY IT]
I MEAN, WITH IT, I AM VITAL, ALIVE, ELFIN.
A WHIZ AT EVERY WALTZ,
I FLIT, A VIXEN IN A FILM,
A FEY MINX IN A KNIT MANTLE.
I HIKE MY KILT. I HAVE A TINKLE, LEAKY IN AN ALLEY. FEEL ILL. THEN I HEAVE. TAKE A MINTY.
– WAIT!
IZZAT YEW, TIM? MY MATE! I EFFIN LIKE YEW, TIMMY!
[THE WAY I LIKE A VILE KNAVE…]
WAIT…HAZY TIME…ALE FAZE.
[I TAKE IT NEAT, IN MY NAVEL]
MEANWHILE, MY FAM WHILE AWAY THE TIME IN FAMINE
LET THEM EAT MAIZE!
LET THEM EAT VEAL FILET!
LET THEM EAT ME!
IM FINE. IM FINE. IM FINE.
TAKE A LEFT AT LETHE. HERE. HERE.
LEAVE ME.
WHITE WHALE TALE
NAME ME WHAT I AM
NATIVE MAN, MY WIFE
INLAY TEETH HEWN
HAZY WHITE VEIL
EAT MEATY FAT
AHA, FATE!
I AM INKY,
AT THE HELM
AFT, I ENVY IN VAIN
WET MEN FAINT, THEY MELT IN LATEX
WHILE THEY AXE
THE FLAX FILAMENT HELIX
THE WHALE = MY VIETNAM
MY MANLY VENALITY
[WHAT NAIVETY]
WELL MET, WHITEY
HAVE AT THEE!
I HATE THEE LIKE HELL
EVIL FEZ MEN HEW AT THE FLANK
THREE TIMELY
[MENTAL FINALE]
WHELM, NEATH WAVE.
Note: Both poems are part of a series, entitled ‘Poems I Can Write with a Knife’, written using only letters made up entirely of straight lines.
Nasser Hussain is a Senior Lecturer in Literature and Creative Writing at Leeds Beckett University. He is the author of SKY WRI TEI NGS (Coach House Books 2018)
Continue to Amy Acre’s ‘atheism’ & ‘you know it’s love rousing you to snap that creature’s neck’ >>