POPCORN

 

​ The tragedy and the comedy

 The starlight hubris of the gods

A box as big as a Barclays vault.

An unseen puffed-up filled-fist hides

 a whispered phantom breath of malt.

 And  so  the  fruitless  search  for

 meaning twixt the sugar and the salt​

 

By David Apong

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CHARACTERS
A homophone helped my pigeon come back
arriving quietly after dark
then flapping furiously at the window
failing to interrupt my dream
of books waltzing along the shelf
and shedding ghostly characters willy-nilly
waving wistfully at the puzzled pigeon

 

Kim O'Sarby and Tonto
auditioning for a Cinderella panto
Don Quixote is confused by
Donkey Oatie tilting at windmills
Alice is invited to the palace
for strawberry tarts with the Queen of Hearts
Winnie the Pooh spoons Honey

 

generously onto his layer cake
Miss Moneypenny, M and Q form a queue
ahead of Blofeld, Oddjob and Mr Goldfinger
Christopher Robin awakes feeling hungry
says it must be time for supper
Sherlock sits still slowly looking
while Dr Watson organises the cooking
Piglet grilles a spicey steaklet
Cinderella swallows a midnight omelette
James Bond in his tuxedo says
"Do you expect me to bake?"
Moriarty chillingly replies
"No Mr Bond, I expect you to fry!"

By Robert Zhilmor, New Arley

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ELYSIUM

 

You must ignore all the drivel

For I once made a deal with the devil

Satan did not value the marriage

Though he wasn't in position to disparage

He offered me a long easy life

If I promised not to take a wife

So I vowed that I'd never marry

A principle I intended to carry

I was desirous of endless euphoria

Then I met a girl named Gloria

Couldn't admit to a deal with Lucifer

The reason I'd split from Lucy for

I couldn't ever tell her the truth

As she'd have thought me uncouth

Nor could I have crossed Greek Myth's Hymen

So I had to keep lying to the women

Now I still have no wife nonetheless

But I feel guilty in delightfulness

As usual the upshot is true

There is always a catch 22.

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By Jock Brownlee, Coventry