BRIONY PENTECOST

 

toi toi

 
one for you and one for me 
and we rode maned horses 
along the verge 
toy toy
 

doctrine

 
sulcus looks like circus 
and I’m teasing you about having the handwriting already 
 
your flashcards are facing backwards 
and I keep reading you the answers 
 
I could be feeding the world back into you one smile at a time 
except that all this memorising is only taking you further 
 
and sending you home spouting things you don’t quite believe 
but why didn’t you vaccinate the children? you ask mum, meaning the two of us 
 
you’re still alive, aren’t you? she says 
and you have to concede that point 
 
because even though your partner in skills lab declared you dead twice 
eventually somebody found your heart and heard it beating 
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Briony Pentecost has just completed work on her folio for the MA in Creative Writing at the IIML. Toi toi and doctrine come from this folio, centred around the essence and music of every day moments.

 

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