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red letter
(something terrible happens in the Russian film
but life goes on)
this is the hostel
where she is neatening her room
and receives my letter
containing something unspeakable
The Bomb in the poem
as soon as it was posted
i was ashamed
but it’s too late now
as she reads
a parcel of light
appears on the ceiling
a hologram
that means this is a lazy morning
towards the opening night of winter
natural neon to entice us into the
storm
a bee flies out the window
as if it knows where it’s going
and she turns the page
to find the words that leave her shaking
the detonation
do you want to hear this?
but it’s in Russian
no subtitles
you won’t understand
anyway she doesn’t speak here
think of the letter you got
sent
her lover is dead to her or she’s pregnant
or her mother says that she is selfish or
the parole board refuse her application
supply your own
now she is putting her uniform on
with a lot of lipstick
as if her mouth were slashed
which it is
and leaves for her shift
the hologram remains
for hours in real life
changing on the ceiling as the sun moves
long after we’ve gone
© Janet Charman
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