Things That Juat Happen Poem by Jean Bernard Parr

There's that politician on tv
who once gladhanded me
behind him the river and city bridge
can you see the big wheel creeping, creeping..?
the truth is everything inches towards something
thus proving its real
this I think, watching the river slow-wink
those blurred and lazy worms

but the tv show is fast
not built to last
here comes the smile, the nod,
the shake of the head, the speed
at which questions are fed
attack, riposte
a name that comes up on the screen
fades like a ghost
chequerboard life
of the programme host
and
as words billow to fill the faltering argument
a seagull plies her aerial furrow and flies
through the head that talks in the Thames
she wings the river low, to the bright star cluster
that turns and mewls over dark underbridge water