ADAM STEWART
The Belle #1
I stand at the side of the stage
with a bag of peanuts
and all
with a bag of peanuts
and all
I can say is, “Here, these peanuts
are for you. I only wish that
they were diamonds.”
are for you. I only wish that
they were diamonds.”
All the girls fall for me, even though
my French is obscene.
my French is obscene.
For you, I replay the act
here I stand again, at the
side of the stage
here I stand again, at the
side of the stage
offering you non-extant diamonds
a bag of peanuts in your hand
and all
a bag of peanuts in your hand
and all
you can say is that
you can’t eat a bag of diamonds.
And though I insist
that you could buy
a whole lot of peanuts
you can’t eat a bag of diamonds.
And though I insist
that you could buy
a whole lot of peanuts
you reply that you already have
a whole lot
right there in your hand.
I am Fred Astaire
and my heart just went whoops.
My French is improving. I want to
tap-dance my way
into your history.
a whole lot
right there in your hand.
I am Fred Astaire
and my heart just went whoops.
My French is improving. I want to
tap-dance my way
into your history.
The Belle #2
I promise that I will do
anything for you, a hard day’s work
even.
So I am a postie for
anything for you, a hard day’s work
even.
So I am a postie for
Western Union, but I crash my
bicycle through a shopfront
window.
I am
a garbage man, collecting
scraps from the sidewalk
but I stumble
and collect
bicycle through a shopfront
window.
I am
a garbage man, collecting
scraps from the sidewalk
but I stumble
and collect
a fruit-cart with my broom
whistling de–doo-oo-oo
whistling de–doo-oo-oo
like a turtledove. I am
a trolley driver where I love the work
because you are my
a trolley driver where I love the work
because you are my
only passenger. I never slow the
trolley, just wave for
the people
who always wave back, have been
all day long. I leave the trolley
moving, scoop you up like pink
ice-cream. Whisk you on-board.
trolley, just wave for
the people
who always wave back, have been
all day long. I leave the trolley
moving, scoop you up like pink
ice-cream. Whisk you on-board.
The Belle #3
They say that
seeing is believing, and
I cannot bring myself to see
God. There should be a law
seeing is believing, and
I cannot bring myself to see
God. There should be a law
against you sexy Salvation
Army girls. I dance on the
rooftops
Army girls. I dance on the
rooftops
over the self-raised skyline
of Manhattan. I throw
my top-hat
of Manhattan. I throw
my top-hat
and beg for my salvation
with a devillish smile, and
the attitude
tomorrow, tomorrow.
I rule
with a devillish smile, and
the attitude
tomorrow, tomorrow.
I rule
a line across the stars
with my cigarette.
The view
with my cigarette.
The view
is stupendous. Our romance
blown away. I am just another bum
singing:
Gonna be a dancin’ man
leave my footprints on the sands
of time, in rhythm
and rhyme. I drink
too much wine. I
drink too much wine.
blown away. I am just another bum
singing:
Gonna be a dancin’ man
leave my footprints on the sands
of time, in rhythm
and rhyme. I drink
too much wine. I
drink too much wine.
Granule
There is a hole when I look up
from the table to see
that you are gone.
from the table to see
that you are gone.
The tiny indentations left
in our forearms
leaning
across sugar crystals
in our forearms
leaning
across sugar crystals
in a time when a single
granule
granule
was a large enough prospect
for us to meet, for
my look
to be taken up. Now
for us to meet, for
my look
to be taken up. Now
the sugar is what it is. It is
packets. Packeted
packets. Packeted
heaped teaspoons and their
featureless
interruptions.
featureless
interruptions.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adam Stewart has an Honours in English and a BA in Music Studies Composition from Victoria University. This year he wrote a book of poetry for his MA in Creative Writing at the IIML.