escher poetry — [β]

imagine
painting a toothbrush moustache
on an orange

as an old cliché goes
at the site of a mouse
it’d jump on a table
& screech

begging the neighbour’s cat
to come
have some feline fun

imagine the orange in an army
the first engagement
panicking the other way
betraying allies
again

fear is a horrible thing
if you don’t face it down
we drown

imagine the orange
sitting in an armchair
the doorbell rings

looking through the lock eye
panicking to hubby
jumping in his arms

“they’re a funny colour”

hubby
he with the horse called binky
says he’ll take care
of all

just so long
as orange lets
his angel
loose

to steal away
all the world’s umbrellas
the protection against
the poison rain

dr death
dr death
dr death
has very bad breath^*

it takes steel
to look in the pit
to have it submit

your fear
hides behind you
& has you hate
those who see

all this is how
woke
means courageous

^*with apologies to Steve Bell