2 poems
by Sophia Walsh
Sophia Walsh is a poet living in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). Some of her work has appeared in Westerly, Cordite Poetry Review, No More Poetry’s No No No Mag, and elsewhere. Her poem “Hide and Seek” was recently shortlisted for the Judith Wright Poetry Prize.
Slot Machine
remember
making out against
the wall of the
court house and
that lady who said
be careful there’s
cameras there?
i think she knew
what we knew
which is that
we would make out
for a whole three hours
completely revved up
on being sixteen
and lesbians
and in love
with each other.
life
is so far now
from what it used to be.
getting the bus
to your place after
school getting the
bus to main street
yackandandah your bottle of
raspberry
absolut vodka
my left eye
stye. watching
the l word together
bette
cheating on tina
tina
cheating on bette
me
cheating on you
you
cheating at uno.
you wouldn’t believe
how much i miss you.
i am at the pachinko parlour
i mean
the isa genzken
retrospective at moma.
the slot machine is
covered
with printed photos
of you.
Westbourne Grove
you are of the same ilk of samuel beckett or maybe he is
of your ilk living in obscurity and all that.
apparently
beckett rode his bike so much he was likened to a
centaur flying through
montmartre, and that is you but driving a
range rover classic through
northcote.
what could i liken you to? a rhinoceros perhaps.
your presence is large and
felt and you scare me.