'The King of 24/7' and 'Sallow Trite' by Jess Buxton

Image from Unsplash

The King of 24/7

over a desolate concrete sea

the cardinal Mikado stands

a culmination of sticky stodge salt

relish to secure his mighty stance

the barren gravel below does not

deter his reigning supreme supremacy

nor would he be confronted by

the grease slick rain as it oozes

oil over his bloodshot crown

a vermillion apogee in the distant dark

his swarthy mustard might

is as cold and unwavering

as a frozen sloshing storm

soaking through a plastic napkin

trudging amongst the king’s reflection

in a regal tawny gold pool

steeped in the aftermath of

electric orange as it stains

the night.

Sallow Trite 

slouched 

under toad dust upon those distant 

mollusked moths all rolled in fatigue

slowly  

paved with cement cream and 

drifting

through  

a eucalyptus trench 

unshelled            unsmiling            steeped bog 

stagnant  

in overboiled uniform 

flavourless sondergrindedscratching in cotton 

over a waning storm

under humbled thunder drowned in sea to be 

caught 

in clustered coils or pickled in bark brine 

unshaved reflecting in a tin tinned can 

garbled and sagging from half

sewn buttons 

cable tied to brambled rain 

and dripping a sludge of  

thick disdain 

while a mottled figment 

ambles 

below. 

---

Words by Jess Buxton

Image from Unsplash

Edited by Emily Gough