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Poetry

Gastro, mon amie

Cat Woodward

This poem is part of the SPOONFEED takeover of New Writing, curated by Kat Payne Ware and Sean Wai Keung. You can read the issue in full at spoonfeedmag.com/spoonfeed-x-new-writing

 

Banana, abandon your discretion

…………softly now, pulpify

…………we’re waiting to be shamed

 

Mango, golden noisy oval you

…………be what you are

…………lamp, heavy as infant heads

…………your shadow, throw

 

those Lentil conspirators huddling

…………where are your sympathies?

…………among fingers gently mingle,

…………Cashew becomes you

 

even the Mushroom has gills

…………worshipful fold, precious stranger

…………mimics the ear, shrinks

 

and dumb brain of Walnut

…………crumpled, runnelled thing, knocking

…………divulge your little darkness

…………to us, a larger dark

 

now Squash, relinquish

…………embrace the form

…………of small cubes departing

…………one another

…………………………………chop, chop!

…………broil our irreversible broil

…………pattern of the world’s sore unwinding

 

here Bordeaux bamboozles us,

…………unbinds us with its swill

…………of busy ghosts simmering

…………be a loving devil

…………be a ruby ring, sing

……………………………………the vine of home, o –

 

when my friend she broke her confidence,

 

……………………………………like a bird from the hedge in May

 

indelicate     an ornate bone     departed from her cheek

 

savage + weightless

 

…………………..there was            left over from

…………………………………when a little lie < in a small room <

 

a crochet hook.               and declining,

 

…………………………………………..could not blink, could not eat

 

was almost

 

now, say

…………if rind then nail

…………if nail then the molluscs of her eyes

 

say

…………if pip then thumb

…………if peel, surprise

 

say

…………if wet then sweeten

…………if thumb then eyes

…………then the reddened rind of her tongue

 

say

…………if flesh then eyes

…………if mollusc then thorn

…………if friend then sweeten

 

say

…………if friend then sweeten

……………………………………………..her

…………ever-falling chiffonade

…………of sanguine, tart, voila!

 

 

…………abandon your discretion

…………softly         ,

…………we’re waiting

 

…………golden noisy         you

…………….what you are

…………a         heavy      infant head

…………your shadow,

 

those             cons               huddling

…………where are you                         ?

……………………………..gently

……………………becomes you

 

even the           room has gills

……………………ful fold, precious stranger

…………mimics the ear, shrinks

 

a    dumb brain

…………crumpled, runnelled           , knocking

…………divulge          little

…………to us, a larger

 

now               relinquish

…………embrace the form

…………of                        departing

 

……………………………………….. chop!

…………………our     revers

…………pattern      the               sore     wind

 

here                   bamboozles us,

…………unbinds us with its  will

……………..us  ghosts simmering

…………be a            devil

…………be a rub

………………………………………………of home, o –

 

when my friend she broke                             ,

 

……………………………………. like a bird                                  a

 

delicate              ornate  one                                her cheek

 

savage +          less

 

…………………….there was               left over

……………………………………………………………………..a little lie <

 

a crochet hook                a    declining,

 

………………………………………….could not blink, could not eat

 

was almost

 

o

…………rind then nail

…………nail then the molluscs of her eyes

 

 

…………pip then thumb

…………peel,

 

 

…………wet then sweeten

…………thumb then eyes

………then the reddened rind of her tongue

 

 

…………flesh then

…………mollusc then thorn

……………………then

 

 

…………friend then sweet

 

…………ever-falling

…………o                                       !

 

 

…………abandon your

…………softly

…………………..ing

 

…………………noisy

…………what you are

……..a        heavy      infant

 

 

those                                 huddling

………………are                              ?

……………………………….gently

 

 

even the

……………..fold          ious stranger

…………….the ear, shrinks

 

a     dumb

…………………….nelled            knocking

 

…………to us

 

…………………relinquish

……………………..the form

…………of                          departing

 

 

………………….revers

…………pattern

 

……………………..boo

…………………..us

……………us   ghosts

…………be a

…………be a

………………………………………………………..me, o –

 

when my friend she broke                             ,

 

……………………………………………like

 

………………….an ornate                                                     cheek

 

savage +

………………………………………….left over

…………………………………………………………………………………….<

 

a                hook                a    declining,

 

………………………………………….could not          , could not eat

 

was

 

 

…………rind then nail

………………..then the molluscs of her eyes

 

 

………………..then thumb

 

 

 

………………..then

………………….then eyes

…………then the reddened rind of her tongue

 

 

…………flesh then

…………mollusc then thorn

………if friend then sweeten

 

 

…………………then

 

………ever-

 

 

………..abandon

 

………………….ing

 

 

…………..what you

…………………………….infant

 

 

 

…………where

……………………………..gently

 

 

even the

………………………………………….stranger

……………………………….shrinks

 

 

 

 

…………to us

………………………….ish

 

………………………………depart

 

 

 

………..pattern

 

……………………………..o

……………………..us

………………us        o

……………..a

……………..a

 

 

when my friend she    o

 

………………………………………………like

 

……………………..an ornate

 

savage

……………………………………………………..over

 

 

a             hook                   declining,

 

………………………………………………………………..could       eat

 

 

 

 

……….rind         nail

…………………………..molluscs              eyes

 

 

…………then thumb

 

 

 

…………then

 

……………………………………….her tongue

 

 

…………..then

……………….then

………………then

 

 

 

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