Michael Farrell
photos
they shocked me lying there on the desk having taken them
myself others that is the quality in your face the youth
& the colour red & tony too when his hair was different
in profile theyre another view of life an approximation
unlike portraits closer to goldfish what could be more
abstract than a car an orange renault of the old
model you see everwhere in ljubljana & of course you
were younger then & hadnt hurt your neck & the word
no hadnt emerged from the slogans the poetry on
the walls the sculptures in thin iron & yellow cement
& umbrella stands too that noone takes except for
granted bark gets used to tacks its supposed
the ink on your hand fades but the image remains
& the memory of your bad mood though now it
amuses you it was the start of my love of the changing
brewery colours from the bus theyd been easy to dismiss
we are gas hes an angel a mamet poster of a plastic penis
are nothing lights like ghostly snails you know or walnuts
white spirals in neon are something & your skin
were rich regardless of our activities marine
life waiting for a shot of ancient light thats what
distinguishes us the way we take photos of empty
courtyards & painted rocks & anything broken because
thats where we see ourselves by chance tiny pebbles in a drain