The days we were well socialised

we sent novelistic emails to our amazing volunteers
there were no emoticons
but we spoke about logistics and trips
to the beach

we slipped sachets of plant food into vases
in waiting rooms because we wanted
things to get better but not
just for us

we held open
surgeries attended by people we suspected of slitting
our tyres and throwing
bricks through
our windows

our clothes were patterned our hair
conditioned through not washing and piled up
on our days off
of which there were many

we convened to have our bicycles fixed
by that one guy who was
really good

we hand painted heart warming
displays of pride in our
community it was our way of telling you to
stop parking in our gate

we had no real leverage but we had procedures for different outcomes

we agreed we had a lot in common even
though most of it was gossip

the turnout at our general meetings fluctuated
we archived all the emails in hard copies
we were terrible at texting
we stood up to each
other on social
media

someone spat on us once

our playlists were for
the party because
it was of others
we thought
the most

 

Ha ha human forces

it was on in all the shops
it was never out of earshot

looking for it like looking
for a nail to hang
a sheepskin coat on, wet

smoking is best in the rain
there were four fire engines

people at the record store
looking at me looking at you
as if we won the Eurovision

you sleeping animal
image search sleeping animal

that lamp you said was ugly
found it in a hopeless place,
did we, did we fuck

 

---

 

Anna Danielewicz is an artist based in Glasgow. Her work can be found at:  annadanielewicz.com