About a Minute

Posted by lukewrightpoet Category: Poems

I’ve been asked to write a poem for the inaugural exhibition at an art gallery in Shoreditch. The theme is ‘About a Minute.’ This is a bit of a departure (or perhaps a day-trip) for me in style terms, but I quite like it.

About a Minute

In the time it took you
to tell me what I already knew
a Tesco checkout till went on the blink
some year seven students launched a balloon rocket
Joe made a sale
a note was passed in class that read:
James Medcraft blows goats
a taxi pulled over for an ambulance
on the Goldhurst Road
John ‘ignored’ three friend requests
from men he used to play football with
287 people died
patties were flipped
a white paper was launched
Molly burned her hand on the grill
Sky+ boxes were set
Beamers bleeped, doors clicked shut
spoons heated, purses nicked
millions were lost on the stock exchange
P45s were issued
Miranda rang her mum to say she got the job
barrels were changed
coffee burned on drip plates
parliamentary expenses were recorded
fathers cried openly in maternity wards
knees were scraped
a jury was dismissed
and in every corner of every town
other hearts were breaking
being pulled in two by a litany of apologies
their sound was deafening.

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