Gorgon Hair [rev.] Poem by Margaret Alice Second

If after Bombay Lamb Curry I feel bad & seem
to project my worst limitations onto others it's
because a dish with full-cream Greek yoghurt
is one to die for - afterwards I do die a little bit
& then think people around me are suddenly
nasty; my hardworking colleague becomes a
threatening Gorgon, her hair made of snakes
ready to turn me to stone, and as I solidify, I
forget its the allergy busy stiffening my spine

Until my chair turns into a torture machine and
my bed a lava-flow smothering me when I try to
sleep; my sunny colleague acts a beauty queen
ready to accord me everlasting torture in being
so dense; when suffering such allergy I am the
stupidest creature alive, becoming a snapping
crocodile but hide the fact by pulling a tortoise
trick, retracting head into my shell, not moving
out into the sun where evil trolls & dangerous

animals lurk, where I wish I were a human being
instead of a crocodile


[ORIGINAL: ]

Gorgon With Hair Threatening

I always try to project my shortcomings on others,
when I feel bad after eating Bombay Lamb Curry
with full cream Greek yoghurt - a dish to die for -
and I do - die a little bit afterwards and then think
people around me are suddenly nasty and my best
hardworking colleague turns into a Gorgon with
hair threatening me like so many snakes ready to
turn me to stone - and as I turn to stone, I forget
that it is the allergy at work stiffening my spine

until my chair turns into a torture machine and my
bed turns into a lava-formed rock smothering me
when I try to go to sleep, my sunny colleague
becomes a beautiful queen ready to condemn me
to everlasting torture for being so dense, and when
suffering allergy I'm the stupidest creature alive,
I turn into a snapping crocodile but hide the fact
by pulling a tortoise trick - pulling my head into
my shell and not moving out into the sun where

evil trolls and dangerous animals lurk - and I wish
that I were a human being instead of a crocodile

[27 August 2014]