2 poems by James Roome

from supermundane doormat

6

I guess I don’t mind the idea

of rules imposed on language

i.e. there is a prescribed spelling for this word

i.e. you may use an apostrophe here

A person will often need these rules

to make themselves understood

Then again, I also like the idea of being

free as a pile of groceries, fallen from a torn bag

from supermundane doormat

17a - three bedroom detached home desirable area big garden

There is a sincere elephant on the lawn

It’s knocked twice already and is reaching the end of its tether

Its tether is unusually long.It stretches to Pluto

When I think of tethers I imagine a fraying rope but never a chain

This elephant’s tether is a chain

It sits down slowly on the chrysanthemums

pictures itself at an all-inclusive somewhere.Greece

Elephants don’t tend to drink cocktails but this one does

Can you picture it?

Now imagine the elephant is eating its tether,steadily

And,because I am calling this a poem,imagine

the tether is your death

The sincere elephant eats your death

Enjoys it

Now you are immortal

_________________

James Roome is a poet and teacher from Manchester, UK. Recent work can be found in Tentacular, Iamb and Tears in the Fence. His debut pamphlet, Bull (Red Ceilings Press) was a summer 2019 PBS selection. His second pamphlet is due out spring/summer 2021, also with Red Ceilings Press.