This is an Improv off of Craig Raine's "Martian Sends a Postcard Home".
Here's a piece of it:
"Caxtons are mechanical birds with many wings
and some are treasured for their markings--
they cause the eyes to melt
or the body to shriek without pain.
I have never seen one fly, but
sometimes they perch on the hand. "
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As for my own work, I hope what it is eventually makes sense. I'm sorry if it doesn't. If you've read it and you still can't figure it out leave a comment and I'll be happy to tell you. It's hard to know if I'm being unreasonably vague. This is mostly experimentation. I'm none too good at this. Any hints or corrections would be welcome and appreciated of course. I guess this is my first real piece on here isn't it? Here it goes. It's called "'Kay, Roger"
'Kay, Roger
The child watches stiff natives wandering
in uniform black and blue,
safely tucked behind the grates and bars
of a trundling car with no engine.
It is a new world suffused in white,
lined from tiled slab to towering ceiling
with fragrant, neatly packaged trinkets,
studied by many touring faces.
Knick knacks tossed into the car.
In silent lines, visitors gather,
grabbing varied handfuls of their booty,
they line them neatly on a magic carpet
that transports it to a waiting native.
She grabs each item, speaks her foreign language--
Beep. Beep.
The items disappear behind her metal fort
and then she shoves them into weak-willed gluttons,
mouths open until full--
They rasp like snakes.
Eyes watch as men with beards like
dripping milk jugs demand tribute.
"Old Man's Discount,"mutter whiskers
and with a nod, sums are tallied.
Numbers shared. Visitors grumble but dig
within their pockets and produce green leaves--
like rectangular flakes of gift wrap.
The native seizes with a plastic smile
And then relents a passport.
And with the interaction done between them
The visitors grab their raspy sacks and leave.
And with them goes an empty promise,
Thank You and Come Again.
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