Dada taught me cards.
Sitting in his suit of pants and vest.
A fistful of joker-red hair strewn across his brow.
His big belly like a cannon ball.

Five children clasping mittens
could not hug the entire trunk.
Whole hands could hide in the folds of its bark.
James, the tallest boy in class,
could sit on a root,

Bring on your shining armour, dude.
I'll be your damsel in distress with attitude.

I am the word juggler.
I juggle the words
like swords.
I slice sense
with poetic license.

Catfish
take catnaps on seabeds
Sticklebacks
stick like glue
Terrapins
are terrific with needles
But what does a didgery do?

Fire under footfall.
Fire over skies.

Fire on a matchstick.
Fire in my eyes.

Fire holding hunger.
Fire seeking wood.

Fire hiding danger.
Fire feeling good.

I’m the king of the dinosaurs, number one reptile,
tyrannosaurus rex can’t touch my style.
I’m dressed to kill, got the sharpest suit,

We're the Mafia cats
Bugsy, Franco and Toni
We're crazy for pizza
With hot pepperoni

In our flat
faces speak
of places across the sea.

In our flat
voices walk in
talking, but not like me.

All you see is outside me: my painted smile,
the rosy-posy shell, the fluttery eyes.
A butter-won’t-melt-in-my-mouth-type me