1 - Unemployed

 

Aimlessly kicking

soft mounds of snow,

feeling flakes melting in

socks and trouser cuffs

leaving wet and cold cloth

on

wet and cold skin

seems like entertainment

for the unemployed.

 

2 - Boredom                                         

 

I remove my hooked index finger

from my stretched left nostril,

which snaps back into place

with youthful elasticity,

while a quick back-and-forth motion

of my thumb and finger

forms a perfect yellow-green orb

that I flick towards the wall

with disregard.

 

3 – Homeless

 

You know you’re in trouble

on cold nights

when you eagerly welcome

the soothing tingle of deep, wet warmth

spreading from the groin to

the tips of fingers and toes

every few hours.

 

 

-Nicola Barber