Passing A Hardware Store in West Kensington, London

The wind has already taken out
two Christmas trees wrapped tighter
than turkeys. Their bodies wait
for an unseen referee to declare
victory. A cake patterned ironing board
waits for its turn, the plastic cover
already wrestling to the point of defeat.
Mops, brooms and stepstools rattle.
The ironing board lurches forward.
This is the pay-per-view moment.
The slam your beer on the counter
and holler in the air moment.
We crave the violence, the force
that pretzels our arms while we sleepwalk,
telling us “it’s okay, this is perfectly natural”
and “your Daddy loves you” as we’re pushed
into a ring of our own making.

***

David Angelo is a UK-based poet who has appeared in journals such as Backwards Trajectory, BlueHouse Journal and Eskimopie.