Crispin Best has lived in Manchester, Cambridge and Tokyo, but now lives back in London, next door to the house where he grew up. Some of his work, which mostly shows up on the internet, is listed here: www.crispinbest.com.
gently
we are a long time
you say
the sky is pale from
the end of
itself
and
gently
one day i want a warm balcony
to fall asleep on
with you
that’s all
but
we got old
something knocked down the low brick wall
where we sat
where you said
take life by the horns
take life by the xylophones
take life by the bagpipes
take life by the clarinets
take life by the trumpets
take life by the harmonicas
take life by the harps
take life by the bassoons
take life by the drum machines
take life by the sousaphones
take life by the theremins
take life by the hurdy gurdys
take life by the nose flutes
take life by the pipe organs
take life by the synths
take life by the ukuleles
take life by the trombones
take life by the harpsichords
take life by the keytars
take life by the kettle drums
those things mean business
i am careful
i agree that we are
a long time
but gently
and
that is the
most
anyway
i am riding lifts on my 30th birthday
somewhere you are all of my direct messages and
a little drunk with you on a train would be nice
anyway they washed the floor of the museum
so my footprint is everywhere on my 30th birthday
and my shoe bottoms must be very beautiful
somewhere i am a kite when you slam me into the sand
still
anyway i am sweating in the museum lonely
somewhere i am sweating not touching butterflies in the
enclosure too
place your animal parts close by
on my 30th birthday
feel free
anyway this unshrinkable distance between us
still
anyway your knees in the morning
somewhere i am sweating quietly learning how to pick up a butterfly
on my 30th birthday
after i nearly step on a butterfly in the enclosure too
there are chrysalises with us here
touch my chest in my imagination
anyway take off your belt with me
on my 30th birthday
still
somewhere i am sweating watching the pattern of your bra
complicate the front of your blouse
never stop
