self-portrait – with wires, city, no clothes – (Stu Hatton)

i am open
and open
and open
(the city, sleepless)
city, be slow with me,
city … slow down …
(i love you)
though back home on my body
hair grows like wild grass
back home in my eye
something quick and approximate
(a snapshot
of the whole perfect whole?)
you asked to see a photo, but
i asked for paper
to write on
am i colour-code wires, ant colony,
wide area network,
landmass seen from airplane window (?)
am i sub-atomic ghost (?)
i am those
and those
and those
(sometimes i
look very familiar)
am i the words
which with use
became unusable (?)
the gap between
inbreath, outbreath (?)
i want to plant lamps
i’m walking around
no armour, no cloak
(i look pretty strange)
i am yes
and yes
and yes
and here
and here
(i’m so glad
you could make it)
* * *
First published in Verandah.