SurVision Magazine
An
international online magazine that
publishes Surrealist poetry
in English.
Issue Seven
NOEL KING
Funeral Days
There was a time when death seemed easy,
cold, but not shivering, looking into a tomb
as a new forefather got dropped in.
There is attention to be gained in death;
Guards of Honour and reams of praise.
I want to hear poetry at my funeral.
I could chose the subject matter
or the poet, but a favourite now
could be out of vogue
the time my time comes
– unfair to embarrass whoever's reading it.
The Naming of Animals
There was a dog on that beach that adopted me.
We ate together an hour after meeting:
she the remains of last night's chicken,
I made a burger and chips;
I think she would have preferred the burger.
For the first month I didn't know if it was a boy
or a girl, or had a name, and didn't care
but figured I had better find out, christen it,
in case I had company or if I met a stranger
on the beach, I couldn't just shout Here dog ! Here dog.
So, she was christened, or named as such;
when swimming nude in a quiet pool one evening
time, the dog paddled to the edge of the water,
her binocular eyes had me, She watched
my shriveled penis, began to pant.
I laughed, dived for my towel.
I must have been mad, because I said to the dog
that I believed in reincarnation. I, who'd had no time
for dogs (or religion) all my life. Anyway, I called her
Aphrodite. Alas, we said goodbye when I handed over
the keys of my 'muse' cottage, advising the next
occupant of the viable traits of the canine.
Noel King was born and lives in Tralee, Co Kerry. His poetry collections are published by Salmon Poetry: Prophesying the Past (2010), The Stern Wave (2013) and Sons (2015). A short story collection, The Key Signature & Other Stories has been published by Liberties Press in 2017.
