FOUR POEMS by RON BARTON

The Birds

Beware the birds, my child,

the claws that scratch,

the beaks that peck.

It is natural to fear them,

They flock outside your doors,

propel themselves into your windows,

stare at you with glassy eyes.

That is why we name them

an unkindness

a siege

a squadron

a murder.

That is why we associate them

with death.


American Psycho

There is an idea,

a vague sense of identity,

an entity whose routine

is comparable to our own

but in the privacy of his own home

he peels back the mask

to reveal that all is not black or white.

The corporate world

is kill or be killed

and the destruction of others

is but another notch

in one’s belt,

another record for the collection—

success is built on murders

and acquisitions, mergers

and executions.

We satirise our excess

in status, success, and sex

but all for naught.

This poem has meant nothing.


An American Werewolf in London

When the guilt of survival

makes a monster out of us

we struggle to let go

of visions of the past;

friendships lost

threaten new relationships

just as our lived experiences

threaten to break us down.

Ultimately, when it is time to die,

we exit the world as we entered it—

naked and loved.


Doctor Sleep

A palimpsest of style;

Flanagan on

King on

Kubrick.

Here the shine

is steam

and feeds

parasitic nomads.

These are the darkly psychic,

deathly sidekicks

of Rose the Hat.

Her movements should not be

overlooked,

nor should Danny’s

—now Dan,

all grown up

and still trying to

step out of the shadow

of his father.

Only a little

Abra kadabra

magic

will help him see the light.


Ron Barton is a teacher, poet, and TEDx speaker from Perth.

Previous
Previous

TWO POEMS by JASON MELVIN

Next
Next

TWO POEMS by IVAN DE MONBRISON