Douglas Scotney Poems

'Ralph' and 'Wolfgang'
are American and German for 'Guy'.

Don't ask why,
...

Obscurities in poems
you often ignore
that you'd explore
if there were pennies
...

Americans don't spell a son's name 'Louis'
if they want it
to sound like it does in France.
They opt for 'Louie'.
...

'Un coup' is French for 'a move' in chess.

To suggest un coup, (insinuer) ,
on ne bats les doigts,
...

Nice kitchen, the tiler says twice,
after finishing his task.

Nice what? I ask.
...

So over the top
are articulate deliverers
of conspiracy theory agitprop,
that their targets
...

It may not be as exciting as English,
but French tries.

Its word for the 'beauty spot'
...

'To draw',
meaning both
'to infuse'
and 'to pencil something',
...

Once upon a time
in Anonymously-Sited,
there was a mother
who was kale-benighted.
...