Oh, you know it, Nightbeat – a murder –
that’s a question. That sleek and sullen
murmur, you’re a goner. A body cranks
into an eroteme, a slick, articulated finger
that beckons, you – come hither. A jackanape,
a whisperer, a white-hot sassy partner. Clue
on clue, that nagging fix, sweet somethings, leading you,
ooh, anywhere. Take me anywhere. That’s you,
you’re called, you’re primed for dancing,
Nightbeat.
That being
the case, let’s face it, you’re a lost cause,
and you know it. The merest whisper
of a mystery, one delicious proposition,
and you’re licked – held here, gummed.
A key, a hint – a databank! Ah, the merry hunger!
Then you’re a gamer, a nymphet, a queen in the arena,
a gambler cracking onto lady luck. No scenic route,
no exit, just your nagging upstart laser
of a brain – lights the way to who knows what?
ABIGAIL PARRY’s first collection, Jinx (Bloodaxe, 2018), was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection.