Mr Joshua
Mr Joshua
waits by the door to greet us.
I can hear him sayin, Hi, to the kids
at the front.
Sit where you want for this morning
but make a sensible choice.
I’m
dead
last.
Hi, he says,
I’m Mr Joshua.
Welcome.
Tall I’m guessin the same sort of age as Mum
but looks way younger
designer glasses footballer’s skin fade
neat beard
big smile circles his thumbs as he talks.
I do my best impression of a smile
slide past him
slump in a seat and the smoke is risin
breathe Nate breathe
and I can feel the heat and the darkness and
The Beast withdraw return to the deep
and Mr Joshua’s watchin me.
You OK fella?
Need a minute somewhere to chill?
I swallow it down.
No thanks I’m fine.
© Matt Goodfellow from The Final Year (Otter-Barry Books)