At The Tone
Image by Ayşenaz Bilgin from Pexels
I can’t come to the phone right now,
I’m wrestling the tigers of indifference.
I’m up to my waist in holy water.
The sky is burning.
I’m not in at the moment,
I’m paddling in the piss-green sea,
herding lizards, seeding the stars.
I’m being driven to distraction —
dark-eyed men in hats and sunglasses
are carrying me away from myself.
If you must, please leave a message.
But I no longer have the ability to respond.
My time is tempered by destruction.
I’m made miserable with compassion.
Itching for more poetry like this? Give these a read:
- I Guess No One Has a Phone in Heaven – Poetry
- Call Centre – Poetry
- The Stone Mirror – Poetry
- Listen – Poetry
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Bruce McRae
Bruce McRae, a Canadian musician, is a multiple Pushcart nominee with poems published in hundreds of magazines such as Poetry, Rattle and the North American Review. His latest book, 'Boxing In The Bone Orchard' is available now via Frontenac House.
Find Bruce’s book at Frontenac House.
