coke cans
Scott Lilley (University of Oxford, UK)
coke cans I say are far deeper than you might expect could
contain language all of their own within their cylinder could communicate as
though the charging light of a toothbrush
why you ask
why what I ask
why does this worry you
we’re in the car on the way home and you’re picking mud from the treads of your
boots examining every mud moulding flicking each
mudshape through the open window as though half eaten apples you
aren’t worried if an accidental stone playing stuck in the mud might
clatter chip the windshield of the car behind as
though an intrusive thought and again you
ask
why do coke cans worry you
and I turn and say what if
what if what
what if coke cans do have language what if coke has language what if we
just can’t hear their aluminium screams as we pry open their body crack them open
like a coke can that the coke only wants to be walking under a solder moon with you
that it only wants to be having a coke with you that it only wants to be
your solder moon what if the coke has language
you look at me like you might look at a man who has just inferred coke cans can speak and,
for the most part, this is fine.
(from mynd)
Scott Lilley is currently studying towards an MSt in creative writing at the University of Oxford. He has performed his work at Edinburgh Fringe and Wenlock Poetry festival. His poetry has appeared in Wet Grain, Black Bough’s Deeptime 2 Anthology, Poetry NI’s FourXFour, among others. He can be found on twitter @ScottGLilley.
