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An Ode to Annoyance

 

An Ode to Annoyance

 

Filled with cortisol I need exercise

But I’m injured

So I’m fucked

I can sing a bit

That’s ok

But poetry is tense

Particularly with a blank screen

Staring at you

& so I use a notepad

& scribble old skool

But it’s just jibber jabber

My house is the house of many boxes

I don’t throw them out

Coz I’ll be moving soon

But a drunk struggles to get his shit together enough

To bring a shopping bag with him

& so he collects another box

To put his groceries in

See what I mean

Jibber jabber

& there’s always someone

With a power tool

I conjecture that they could make them

A lot quieter

But deliberately

They make them louder

To lend an air of importance to their labours

I’ve done better today

I cleaned the kitchen

& did a load of washing

All of it done in a bad temper

Which is a sin

I believe one should treat such work

As a prayer

Does the guy with the power tool

See his work as a prayer?

If so it’s a bloody loud one

& sounds rather infernal

This note pad writing

Is a great deal more fun than typing

You just write

1 doz eggs

400 g leg ham

Etc

There’s a fly on my arm

& you’re annoying

As are these boxes

Which are poorly stacked

Kind of falling over

It looks like a good drying day

Now the fly is on my foot

The injured one

I think I’ll close the other window

The power tool sounds like a giant

Vomiting brake fluid

2 days till I brave the Christmas Eve traffic

From the country to city

& through the city to the suburbs

The whole purpose being to swim in the bay

My Christmas treat to myself

I’m not sure if the fly

Will come with me

& if I should pack a small towel for him?

Maybe pack one of my boxes for him

A bit of jam, an opened banana, some watermelon

He can have a bit of my ham

He might enjoy a change of scenery

Get him down to the beach

He might pick up a beach babe

& have a good time?

That’s the plan anyway

To cleanse the sound of the power tools

Off me

& get covered in salt water

 

 

Published & Copyright Malachi Doyle 2024.

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