Nasser Hussain

 

THE WELKIN KNELL

 

MY FAMILY WENT AWAY WHEN I LIFT THE ETHYL

[ME, I THINK THEY ENVY IT]

I MEAN, WITH IT, I AM VITAL, ALIVE, ELFIN.
A WHIZ AT EVERY WALTZ,
I FLIT, A VIXEN IN A FILM,
A FEY MINX IN A KNIT MANTLE.

I HIKE MY KILT. I HAVE A TINKLE, LEAKY IN AN ALLEY. FEEL ILL. THEN I HEAVE. TAKE A MINTY.

– WAIT!­
IZZAT YEW, TIM? MY MATE! I EFFIN LIKE YEW, TIMMY!

[THE WAY I LIKE A VILE KNAVE…]

WAIT…HAZY TIME…ALE FAZE.

[I TAKE IT NEAT, IN MY NAVEL]

MEANWHILE, MY FAM WHILE AWAY THE TIME IN FAMINE
LET THEM EAT MAIZE!
LET THEM EAT VEAL FILET!
LET THEM EAT ME!

IM FINE. IM FINE. IM FINE.
TAKE A LEFT AT LETHE. HERE. HERE.
LEAVE ME.

 


 

WHITE WHALE TALE

 

NAME ME WHAT I AM

NATIVE MAN, MY WIFE

INLAY TEETH HEWN

HAZY WHITE VEIL

EAT MEATY FAT

AHA, FATE!

I AM INKY,
AT THE HELM

AFT, I ENVY IN VAIN

WET MEN FAINT, THEY MELT IN LATEX
WHILE THEY AXE
THE FLAX FILAMENT HELIX

THE WHALE = MY VIETNAM

MY MANLY VENALITY
[WHAT NAIVETY]

WELL MET, WHITEY
HAVE AT THEE!
I HATE THEE LIKE HELL

EVIL FEZ MEN HEW AT THE FLANK

THREE TIMELY
[MENTAL FINALE]

WHELM, NEATH WAVE.

 

Note: Both poems are part of a series, entitled ‘Poems I Can Write with a Knife’, written using only letters made up entirely of straight lines.

 


Nasser Hussain is a Senior Lecturer in Literature and Creative Writing at Leeds Beckett University. He is the author of SKY WRI TEI NGS (Coach House Books 2018)


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