Alienation

hammerheaded overdrive hypertense incendiary backlash

planetary backcloth wryneck vitrified thundercloud

tundra hamstrung hurricane mortuary muskellunge

(it is so far away

gravel screechowl sheetlightning sheathknife paralysis

cuneiform hierarchy impervious deadhead pursestring

polyglot parapet hypermarine statuary overheads

(the smell of the clover

masterminded backroom stranglehold stronghold vaporize

deadwood rubberneck aquarium crestfallen cruciform

vulcanized thumbprint sodium twilight downpour

(walking in a white dress

sledgehammer deadbeat aqualung piledriver shanghaiing

houndstooth monotone shootingbrake acidhead frenzy

terminal oxygen continent bumbleheaded jackknife

(the barley field the sun

Notes:

This poem is part of a portfolio of work by Edwin Morgan, introduced by James McGonigal, and by the three winners of the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award: Penny Boxall, Niall Campbell, and Roseanne Watt.

Source: Poetry (July/August 2020)