CREATIVE WRITING
Photography by Lexi Jeffs (Year 13)
P O E T R Y Shortcuts on 25th Zak Asgard (Year 13) You’re in a taxi, Lighting the cigarette of a woman you love. Holding her hand and patting your Forefinger against the dimpled inner door frame - You watch the teardrops, Wiped into obscurity by rubber prongs - only to persist and start again. She’s wearing that necklace you bought that leaves A red strip across the back of her neck.
Well what, we can catch another and –
But it isn’t about the flight.
It’s cold. The ring clings to your lips as you move your balled hand away From your dry mouth; The gold tarnished now, from years of keys, cabinets - open the wardrobe, the screwdriver’s there. Michael, my son. Chocolate cakes sweets freckles on the side blurring Smoking coughing bedrooms and locked doors His eyes are just like yours!
And the driver – With his twisted moustache and patchy beard –
Nods his head to Now That’s What I Call the 80’s.
You look at her,
That rattle, it’s quieter now. You look over again, One last time.
The coagulation of red lipstick Meeting your eyes, the upper left side of her mouth. Those pale blue eyes That you’ve stared into just to roll over and study the patterns of the ceiling.
That mascara tarring the under-eye, Smudging the cracks that lay between.
And you feel – She starts to cough into White satin Time to pull over. Scream at her to feel it Feel something Anything –
Coughing Rustling white cotton The acrylic taunting
Now it’s the window. You cross your fingers hoping for a safe flight, hoping you don’t crash, hoping you snuck in and sat on the end of her bed. Father at work, her teeth blinded your words - Casablanca on the telly!
You mean what you said that first time when
No. Tap the driver’s seat
Take the next shortcut
Get there faster -
Faster! The flight’s at 10:30, if we miss it well -
The rain makes us bear the silence.
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