Other Collected Poems

I’m not sure how many poems SEP wrote and published, they’ve never been compiled before. Pat, his wife, certainly contributed many poems to  his journals, and he even published a booklet collecting some of hers, titled Some Poems, in 1966. A second collection of Pat’s poetry was published as well.


Morning

out of bed
my soul hollowed
fear washing in

(give us this day our daily row
and forgive us not our boredoms)

the wet morning peaceful
before the crowd seizes it

(soon the mole-men
will start their scuttle
to a hire-purchased death)

LET US DYNAMITE THE WORLD
WITH EXPLOSIONS OF DISGUST!

(o why are there only
damp squibs of dispair
to throw at the enveloping Wall?)

(published in Twice, No. 1, 1963)


Bristol 1961

I would like to get away from everybody
down a death dark street
of garish painted girls
and men who had shit themselves for the last time

there no one would know me
for their death would be mine
and the staring eyes of life
would have no power to move me
nor the probing finger of accusation
stir my soul with guilty duties

where all have lost their dwindled hopes
perhaps is peace
or at least forgetfulness
who knows?

(published in Minus One, No. 6, Jan-Feb. 1965)