Homo horizontal
The word morning
Should come with a government health warning
Rise and shine, toxic to the species known as Homo horizontal
Who have better things to do with legs, than to evolve, surface
From cosy, king sized beds, then stagger, worthless
Into cold bathrooms and busy kitchens, God save my soul from the early
Or, whether meant or accidental, the poor, whistling paperboy I may throttle
But it’s not all bad news, for one can survive the birdsong and gathering light
Simply by denying their existence, claim it’s still the middle of the night
So, a word to the vertical, breakfast early, gulp in the sunshine, jog if you will
But be warned, from the hours of seven till eleven, if you disturb me, these hands kill
For we Homo horizontals worship the drawn curtain, cherish hibernation
More precious than gold, even love, our duvet and pitch-black room
So, please don’t bring about my body’s exhumation
Nor wish me good morning till it’s well past noon
Where birds never sing
This is a place where birds never sing
And stale, heavy air entombs silence
Nothing moves, but a quickening heart, for murderous intent
Is in these dark woods, sprinkled with demonic scent
For this is one corner of the devil’s triangle
Made from two rings and a malady of the missing
Where no sun throws light, nor churchyard holds
The decomposing, ancient or modern
Who have strayed from the path, stained glass glint
Now huddled together at the leper’s squint
This is a place where birds never branch
In knot or twist of trees, whose crucified stance
Will not save you from the dim warren of endless track
Covered in mud and leaves, to where you started, back
And in the distance Lucifer’s pale, sickly horse
Shadows your misfortune, whilst his master sleeps
For these are the hours of day, go before twilight sets
Whisper constable and priest, now ghosts upon the heath
For this is a bad place, that will do you no good
So, run whilst there’s still time, from the wickedness of Clapham Wood
From the UK, Mark Niedzwiedz is a professional musician, composer and lyricist. So far, Mark’s poems have appeared, or scheduled to appear, in poetry journals such as Grey Sparrow, Oddville Press, Scritura, Wink, Rat’s Arse review, Sac, Literary Heist, Harbinger Asylum, SHiFT, Blaze, The Big Windows Review, The Literary Nest and elsewhere.
