Issue 10: Nathan Thompson

oxygen

a lit candle unspeaks the dark

washed over blood cleanses

                                    imagine me

                                    is speaking

                                                            only to you

angled default comfort the machine exhales just one more time

expectant      nothing drawn      all is there is to draw on

                                    *

legs so thin to sharp me

the lucid minutes

                                    love is always

                                    so you see

open mouthed for what are these for

thumped out air drowns the clock round

days yesterday today april june a birthday

can the turning back on your own

unaided the end talked through silent undressing

                                    *

there you were among the roses

calling out

                        I try to come round

                        thought from prayer

defeated cells expanded into bubbling shadows

                                    *

that was the last time standing

leaving never caught what you said

all the worry of effort

failing

                        not to write defeat

                                    *

how the dreams come

                                                try not to talk

                                    *

what left to process deflected

            ideas slick a typhoon circuit

tripped and scattered unreading pages

held carefully

                                    injected

pain never hurts but it does this time uncomfortable

                                    *

windows            widows walls a bed

                                    special treatment

                                    only      underground      laboratory

                                    hums the ship’s engines overheard paparazzi

                                    held in going to kill animation

                                    with big shadows you grow      folded under

the room is full of

Nathan Thompson grew up in Cornwall and now lives in Hebden Bridge. He is studying for a PhD at the University of Salford, where he also works as a graduate teaching assistant. His two collections with Shearsman are The Visitor's Guest and the arboretum towards the beginning. He also has pamphlets out from Oystercatcher, Knives Forks and Spoons and Gratton Street Irregulars. Recent readings have included appearances in Berlin, Prague, Paris, London and Manchester. From 2008 to 2010 he ran PoAttic, a reading series featuring international poets at the Jersey Opera House

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