These are new poems, let me know what you think.

Not Magi    (Part 1)     Casper 

 

“The wife died

two years ago next Tuesday.”

 

There is a pause

he doesn’t know whether he has to pay

for talking

 

“I’ve never done this …”

 

He turns and looks at her

but she is staring out

through the windscreen

 

He shifts in his seat

her silence is beginning to unnerve him.

 

“I’m …

my name …..”

 

a pulse of iced fear skitters

across his shoulders

and he lies

 

“Trevor.”

 

She startles him when she speaks

so that his torso twitches

 

“Starr, with two r’s

and it’s fifty … two hundred for the night.”

 

He glances sideways

and suppresses a shudder

 

the cashpoint fresh banknotes

 

which had crackled

as he stuffed them into his wallet

 

now sag with a heavy limpness

in his breast pocket

 

So with more courage

than he’s ever summoned before

 

he croaks

“I’ll give you twenty to just go.”

 

She holds out a hand

turns

winks at him

 

“OK Trev”

she smirks

 

He fumbles

trying not to let her see

 

how much he might have paid

Not Magi 

  (Part 2)Balthazar

 

 

In off duty hours

he parks in the shadows

and watches her

 

touting

with a nonchalant ease

 

her pale moon face

hinting at innocence

 

He counts the pick-ups

notes their numbers

 

ready for the day

he finds them double yellowed

 

or speeding

 

He arrested her once

and felt himself

 

spiralled

around

 

her self assured

shrugging acceptance

 

Now

 

he sits

like a starstruck astronomer

 

charting her path

through the night

 

waiting for the time

when she steps to the lightless

 

sidestreet

 

and asks him

to protect her

 

and he can answer

“I am”

Not Magi       (Part 3)

             Melchior

 

I know she’s not dead

  we kept her room

  not as a shrine

   but anticipating

    sheets washed and crisp

    flowers on the dressing table

 

I know she’s not dead

  not know  

  in the way victims families will say

   while searching hospitals

  telling the media that they have a sense

  of a life force

    unextinguished

 

But I know she’s not dead

  I saw her

  seven months ago

  when I had that job

  selling fire-salvaged laptops

    and there she was

    standing at the kerb

      gripping

    two puffed up carriers

and a blue mobile phone

 

So I know she’s not dead

 our eyes locked

 she gaped at me

  then bolted

    I opened the car door

    ignored the sounds

    of horns and curses

    and ran

  all the time thinking

 

I know she’s not dead

 

I chased as she sprinted past

  startled shoppers

    and-slow-off-the-mark

    security guards

each step losing ground

    but outside Mothercare

      she stopped

    and turned to face me

 

I know she’s not dead

  because she waited until I was flanked

  by the muscled

  out of breath blue uniforms

    then yelled

    “He tried to rob me!”

 

And as I felt their brassy grip

  tighten

  she looked

  and blew me a kiss

  then disappeared

     among the pushchairs

              and the travel-cots