Issue 10 October 2011 Prose Poetry
Julie Chevalier
Julie Chevalier’s short-story collection, Permission to Lie, was published by Spineless Wonders in 2011. Two poetry collections are forthcoming from Puncher & Wattmann: linen tough as history, and Darger: his girls.
haunted girl lines my pocket with headlines
girl sends me off forever but to sing novena sends me girl sends me off forever girl sends me to hospital girl reveals the clinic girl sends me spelling didn’t send the question girls sends off clouds from the window sends me off forever the ward where I was washing a girl but washing the floor wanted girl sends me a blossom on a lunch tray girl sends dead bouquet in the rubbish a pissing patient girl gave newspapers send me off girls forever sang about girl forever off girls but moving girls send girls away forever snow didn’t girl didn’t sends me axe to shave stopped broke the food trolley coming girl sends me off
& dribbled catsup on his clean shirt april 12, 1972
as soon as mr darger left for mass yeah, four times a day i sneaked into his room & grabbed the clothes off his chair really hot water & extra scoops of lux out of the bendix & pegged to the line david suggested the goofy old coot take a bath no siree we brazillians don’t like to bathe in winter april 12, hardly of course he’s not brazillian i ironed the clothes dry while he was in the tub the old man grimaced when we yelled surprise happy birthday just us lodgers & the landlords in the yard he bent down to pick up a rusty bottle cap & could hardly stand up again leaned on a chair & stared at the clouds he fed hot dog sandwiches to the landlord’s dog the only thing he said was the good lord always claps thunder on my birthday i wouldn’t say grateful for the angel cake, no three pieces my seven minute icing the new tube pan didn’t stick the dog followed him halfway up the stairs to his room