17 Wake-up Calls for Tom Beckett
Mark Young
1. Urine in the Blood
At the tone the
time will be
The Ides of March.
2. Shortness of Breath
At the time the
tune will be
50 Ways to
Leave your Lover.
3. Mis-spelling Words
At the tine
the paths
will fork.
4. Forgetting Where You Are
At the Tyne
the city
could be Newcastle.
5. Difficulty in Swallowing
At the time the
tongue will
be furry.
6. Back Pains
At the turn the
theme will be
Ol’ Man River.
7. Failing Eyesight
At The Tate
the theme
will be Francis Bacon.
8. Disorientation
At the tête-à-tête
the toke will
be Pakistani Black.
9. Short Attention Span
At the time
the tale will
seem pointless.
10. Poor Hearing
At the tail \
a dog ends.
11. Intolerance
Any talk at thetime was taut —
no tautologies.
12. A Difficulty in Discerning Flavors
It seemed sage
at the thyme.
13. Short Temper
At the tone
he took
umbrage.
14. Erectile Dysfunction
Came the time &
he took Viagra.
Came several times.
15. Going to Fat
The muscle tone
for the rest of
time is poor.
16. High Blood Pressure
At the time he
took a turn.
As a poet, it
was a turn
for the verse.
17. Seeking Forgiveness
Time
for
atone-
ment.
Mark Young lives in a small town in North Queensland in Australia, & has been publishing poetry for almost sixty years. He is the author of over forty books, primarily text poetry but also including speculative fiction, vispo, & art history. His work has been widely anthologized, & his essays & poetry translated into a number of languages. His most recent books are Ley Lines & bricolage, both from gradient books of Finland, The Chorus of the Sphinxes, from Moria Books in Chicago, & some more strange meteorites, from Meritage & i.e. Press, California / New York.
