Steve Spence
Cutting our Links
Is your strategy working?
Could it be that we are
attempting to communicate?
To a moth this is a sophisticated
and highly dangerous enemy
but the city has something
more elaborate in mind and
who needs luck when you
have a solid plan of action?
“Our trail has gone cold”,
she said. Far from solving
the mystery this search has
deepened it. Meanwhile,
he told me you were waiting
for him at the station.
Are we talking here about
the unpredictable ways
that objects move?
Water holes are dangerous
traps for thirsty animals yet
a city’s like a mirror – when
you look at it you see yourself.
“At every stage we test the
components to check they
are running smoothly”, she said.
It’s a question of imagining the
world differently or so we thought.
A Charitable Activity
In nature a keen nose is
essential for survival yet
everyone has to adapt
eventually and these
sounds all happen beyond
human hearing. “Music is
very connected to war”,
she said. Are we talking
about the behavioural
futures market again?
Our tectonic plates may
be shifting but he’s
looking out to sea once
more and we need to
remember that he’s doing
this to protect our livelihood.
“Some of my biggest
mistakes have been
compromises”, she said.
How much the space is
warped depends on how
far the light is bent but
once again we know what
it means even though we
can’t exactly articulate it.
Within days we may have
to catch our own food.
Speech Drowned by Music
Why do we find this sound
so unpleasant? There’s a
connection here, a thread,
or so it seems for the moment.
Why are spider webs bigger
in the autumn? “I was never
aware it was so”, she said.
Instead, one should always
flow out of the other. Why
do we find this smell so
unpleasant? This may not
be the most vigorous
scientific experiment but
it illustrates our point.
“Skunks get a bad press”,
she said. Are you still searching
for the universal tincture?
A recent study suggests that
animals may also listen for
everyday chit-chat among
other species as a way to
gauge whether trouble is
afoot. “We mustn’t get so
close to the ways of the
world”, she said. Why do
we find these sights so
unpleasant?
Disrupting the Feed
Why pursue anything less
than gold? At this point
resistance becomes futile
but you can check your
eligibility today and it’s
hard to imagine a more
pure version of fanaticism.
“Perfection is achieved by
fear”, she said. Are we
choosing the news that suits
our views? Also vulnerable
are the overhead cables.
The sea is an unpredictable
and dangerous place to work
but we’ve always found time
to play and listen to music.
“Anyone can make a film”,
she said. Are you primed for
illusion? We don’t want to
arrive at a clear and obvious
conclusion but our jellyfish
appears completely immune
to the lack of oxygen and one
theory is that they are drawn
in by the bright lights. Five hours
after starting the assembly is done.
Migration is a dangerous undertaking.
A Seat at a Table
What brings these deadly
stingers towards the shore?
“Having access to cash is
fundamental in a civilised
society”, she said. Our whole
house is now full of stuff and
we’re going through it piece
by piece. Now the sardines
have no escape. “I don’t think
I’ve ever carried a banner”,
she said. How are these creatures
able to smell under water?
“There’s a huge amount of
information just flowing around
my head”, she said. This is how
we find our dinner. It’s an amazing
fact that our oceans are awash
with different smells but at certain
points the silence is deafening.
“There’s something slightly
different about my flat”, he said.
Are we going to refreeze the arctic?
Those not on a ‘watch list’ will not
have their data stored after being
scanned but squirrels show similar
levels of vigilant behaviour during
both types of recording.
Baiting is Key
Today we are moving
through the canopy.
“There are no witnesses
after closing time”, she
said. In a real battle the
enemy would be advancing
towards us but on this
occasion the map-makers
are ahead of the game.
“I do brood hugely”, she
said. Do we lack strategic
planning? This is where the
scent detectors are found.
Is the waging of war an
essentially male preserve?
Few people are lucky enough
to see a pine marten but if
their noses work the same as
ours why is their sense of smell
so much better? This autumn
bad omens are everywhere.
“For some reason I keep thinking
about John Entwistle’s Boris the
Spider”, she said. Hungry caterpillars
feast where they can and goshawks
are spreading through the forest.
Are we importing autocratic control?
Is your strategy working?
Could it be that we are
attempting to communicate?
To a moth this is a sophisticated
and highly dangerous enemy
but the city has something
more elaborate in mind and
who needs luck when you
have a solid plan of action?
“Our trail has gone cold”,
she said. Far from solving
the mystery this search has
deepened it. Meanwhile,
he told me you were waiting
for him at the station.
Are we talking here about
the unpredictable ways
that objects move?
Water holes are dangerous
traps for thirsty animals yet
a city’s like a mirror – when
you look at it you see yourself.
“At every stage we test the
components to check they
are running smoothly”, she said.
It’s a question of imagining the
world differently or so we thought.
A Charitable Activity
In nature a keen nose is
essential for survival yet
everyone has to adapt
eventually and these
sounds all happen beyond
human hearing. “Music is
very connected to war”,
she said. Are we talking
about the behavioural
futures market again?
Our tectonic plates may
be shifting but he’s
looking out to sea once
more and we need to
remember that he’s doing
this to protect our livelihood.
“Some of my biggest
mistakes have been
compromises”, she said.
How much the space is
warped depends on how
far the light is bent but
once again we know what
it means even though we
can’t exactly articulate it.
Within days we may have
to catch our own food.
Speech Drowned by Music
Why do we find this sound
so unpleasant? There’s a
connection here, a thread,
or so it seems for the moment.
Why are spider webs bigger
in the autumn? “I was never
aware it was so”, she said.
Instead, one should always
flow out of the other. Why
do we find this smell so
unpleasant? This may not
be the most vigorous
scientific experiment but
it illustrates our point.
“Skunks get a bad press”,
she said. Are you still searching
for the universal tincture?
A recent study suggests that
animals may also listen for
everyday chit-chat among
other species as a way to
gauge whether trouble is
afoot. “We mustn’t get so
close to the ways of the
world”, she said. Why do
we find these sights so
unpleasant?
Disrupting the Feed
Why pursue anything less
than gold? At this point
resistance becomes futile
but you can check your
eligibility today and it’s
hard to imagine a more
pure version of fanaticism.
“Perfection is achieved by
fear”, she said. Are we
choosing the news that suits
our views? Also vulnerable
are the overhead cables.
The sea is an unpredictable
and dangerous place to work
but we’ve always found time
to play and listen to music.
“Anyone can make a film”,
she said. Are you primed for
illusion? We don’t want to
arrive at a clear and obvious
conclusion but our jellyfish
appears completely immune
to the lack of oxygen and one
theory is that they are drawn
in by the bright lights. Five hours
after starting the assembly is done.
Migration is a dangerous undertaking.
A Seat at a Table
What brings these deadly
stingers towards the shore?
“Having access to cash is
fundamental in a civilised
society”, she said. Our whole
house is now full of stuff and
we’re going through it piece
by piece. Now the sardines
have no escape. “I don’t think
I’ve ever carried a banner”,
she said. How are these creatures
able to smell under water?
“There’s a huge amount of
information just flowing around
my head”, she said. This is how
we find our dinner. It’s an amazing
fact that our oceans are awash
with different smells but at certain
points the silence is deafening.
“There’s something slightly
different about my flat”, he said.
Are we going to refreeze the arctic?
Those not on a ‘watch list’ will not
have their data stored after being
scanned but squirrels show similar
levels of vigilant behaviour during
both types of recording.
Baiting is Key
Today we are moving
through the canopy.
“There are no witnesses
after closing time”, she
said. In a real battle the
enemy would be advancing
towards us but on this
occasion the map-makers
are ahead of the game.
“I do brood hugely”, she
said. Do we lack strategic
planning? This is where the
scent detectors are found.
Is the waging of war an
essentially male preserve?
Few people are lucky enough
to see a pine marten but if
their noses work the same as
ours why is their sense of smell
so much better? This autumn
bad omens are everywhere.
“For some reason I keep thinking
about John Entwistle’s Boris the
Spider”, she said. Hungry caterpillars
feast where they can and goshawks
are spreading through the forest.
Are we importing autocratic control?
© Copyright Steve Spence 2020
Steve Spence is joint co-ordinator of Plymouth Language Club, a voluntary organisation which puts on poetry events in the city. His poetry and reviews have appeared most recently in The New European, Long Poem Magazine, Stride (online) and in Litter (online). His first collection, A Curious Shipwreck (Shearsman, 2010) was shortlisted for the Forward Prize best first collection and his most recent, Many Red Fish, was published last year by Knives, forks and Spoons Press