Ameisenverteilungsmaschine

my disapproving mother tells me

nobody wants to read poems about

ant distribution machines

in fact nobody wants to read poems at all

they are unnecessary

no one has ever heard of such a thing as a wealthy poet

so it isn’t really worthwhile she tells me I should consider writing

a best-selling novel or maybe the screenplay for a family saga

if I insist on being difficult

at least give the short story collection a go

except she says all of this in German

and the German word for ant distribution machine is

Ameisenverteilungsmaschine

I decide it is now my favourite word I decide to write the poem

to be poor and obscure

it will be a poem of defiance

about what at first seems like a nonsense invention

who would buy such a useless machine

who needs help distributing ants

they are not very popular pets

but here’s the beauty of my Ameisenverteilungsmaschine

it actually turns the critters into lovely new shapes

tiny giraffes little kangaroos and cows

a miniature camel small enough to make it

through the ear of a largeish needle