Jack Emsden
rain on the bone
of my ribcage glistening
i loosen
my hair in bunches
listen for the cat
slinking into morning
to drop the body of a mouse
under the portrait of a hacksaw
in return i paint a carousel
on the car park concrete
there is violence
and there is birdsong
and then there are rules
we invent
to pass the time
a shallow pond
on the unmown lawn
the wet magpie of my life
glazed blue
in the rising dawnlight
can i ask?
will you cradle my small head
as i die bright and knowing
i gave it everything
Jack Emsden was awarded 2nd place in the Verve Poetry competition 2019. Their work has appeared in publications including SPAM, Butcher’s Dog, and Propel. They run Resonance, a queer poetry collective hosting free monthly open mic nights and workshops. They are a collective in residence at Goldsmiths CCA.
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