Sophie Robinson

 

SOCIAL FABRIC
 
AN EDITED VERSION OF THE WORLD

 
 
NO BIRDS IN THE TREES NO PEOPLE
 
NO WEEPING NO CLAWING BACK YOUR HAIR
 
NO PLUNGING IN TO BLACK LAKES
 
NO MAKING A SPORT OF YOURSELF
 
NO SIGH IN THE NIGHT NO PHOTOGRAPH OF FUN
 
NO SUNRAY SPLAYING OUT OF YOUR HEAD
 
NO GRASS BETWEEN YOUR TOES
 
NO WEEPING NO CLAWING BACK THE TIME
 
NO GARDEN NO YARD NO PARK NO RESERVE
 
NO TRAIN NO BUS NO CAR NO TAXI
 
NO OYSTER NO PEARL NO BUCKET OF SAND
 
NO HEART AND LUNGS NO BABIES NO BUDDIES
 
NOBODY ON THE STREETS
 
NOBODY IN THE HOUSES
 
NOBODY IN THE FACTORIES
 
NOBODY IN THE SHOPS
 
NOBODY IN THE OFFICES
 
NO WEEPING NO CLAWING BACK THE CASH
 
NOTHING ON THE TELEVISION
 
NOBODY PICKING UP THE PHONE
 
NO FATHER NO SISTER
 
NO GIRLFRIEND OR BOYFRIEND
 
NO BROTHER NO MOTHER
 
NOTHING ON THE TELEVISION
 
NOBODY PICKING UP THE PHONE
 
NO TANNING NO MANICURE
 
NO WAITING NO DREAMING NO BLOOD
 
NO CARPETS NO RUGS NO BLANKETS OF SKIN
 
NO MOON NO STARS NO SHINE SHINE
 
NO MOUNTAINS NO RIBS NO STICKY DARKNESS
 
NO DAY NO DRIFTING NO WOODLAND FANTASY
 
NO HERD NO MURDER NO NEST NO EGG
 
NO RHINO NO RHINESTONE NO COWBOY NO MILKMAID
 
NO ALPINE AIR NO TOXIC SHOCK NO BURN
 
NOTHING ON THE TELEVISION
 
NOBODY PICKING UP THE PHONE
 
NO CANCER NO TUMOUR
 
NO SURGEON NO VET
 
NO LYING NO CRYING
 
NO DOOR TO THE PAST
 
NO WHITE LIGHT NO DEADLY VISIONS
 
NO SCHOOL NO COUNTRY NO LOVING ARM
 
NO WORM NO BEETLE NO LOSING HAND
 
NOBODY IN THE BANKS
 
NOBODY IN THE LIBRARIES
 
NOBODY ON THE RADIO
 
NOBODY ON THE ROAD
 
NOBODY IN THE TOWN SQUARE
 
NOTHING ON THE TELEVISION
 
NOBODY PICKING UP THE PHONE
 
NO CRUSHING NO KISSING
 
NO ANAL NO FISTING
 
NO WELTS UPON YOUR BACK
 
NO WORLD UPON YOUR SHOULDERS
 
NO GULL SQUALL NO MACHO WALK NO SWAGGER
 
SAY HELLO TO THE PAST THE FUTURE THE PRESENT DANGER
 
NOBODY TO HOLD YOU
 
NOBODY TO SAY GOODBYE
 
NOBODY BAKING IN THE RED SUN
 
NOBODY FALLING DOWN THE EARTH’S WIDE CRACKS
 
NOTHING ON THE TELEVISION
 
NOBODY PICKING UP THE PHONE
 
NO SUNBURN NO BLISTER NO HAPPY LIFE
 
NO CRACKS IN YOUR HEAD NO BUCKET OF BLOOD
 
NO GURGLING BABY NO SPIDER IN HIS CRIB NO OMEN
 
NO COUGHING UP YOUR LUNGS NO BODY BESIDE YOU
 
NO BITTER COFFEE THRILL NO FEARFUL LURCH OF GUTS
 
NO PILLS NO COKE NO GOBLET OF WINE
 
NO 2-4-1 NO PLASTIX NO WEEPING ACTORS
 
NO CALF NO LAMB NO CUB NO SUCKLING BABES
 
NO BLOWJOB NO SWIMMING POOL NO PULL OF TIDE
 
NO MEDIC NO PASTOR NO VISIONARY POET
 
NO POLICE NO POLICE NO POLICE IN THE STREET
 
NO WEEPING NO CLAWING BACK THE LAND
 
NO AIR NO BREATH NO LIPS IN THE NIGHT
 
NO PERFUME NO GEMSTONE NO LOVE LETTER
 
NO SHIP NO RIG NO LIFEGUARD TO WATCH YOU
 
NO PLAGUE NO CURE NO FLIES UPON YOUR FACE
 
NO MAJIK NO RITUAL NO GHOST BESIDE YOUR BED
 
NO PISS NO SHIT NO MUMMY DOESN’T LOVE YOU
 
NO HERALD ANGEL NO SAINT NO BODY ON THE PYRE
 
NO SURF NO MOSS NO LICHEN NO TREE ROOTS TO WRAP AROUND YOUR FEET YOUR THROAT
 
NO STORM NO NEON BALL OF LIGHT NO ARMS TO SHIELD YOUR EYES FROM THE HORROR OF
         THE WORLD AT THE END OF ITSELF WHICH BEARS NO WITNESS
 
NOTHING ON THE TELEVISION
 
NOBODY PICKING UP THE PHONE
 
NOTHING ON THE TELEVISION
 
NOBODY PICKING UP THE PHONE
 
NOTHING ON THE TELEVISION
 
NOBODY PICKING UP THE PHONE
 
NOTHING ON THE TELEVISION
 
NOBODY PICKING UP THE PHONE.
 
 
 
_____________________________________________________________________________________
SophieSophie Robinson was born in 1985. She has a PhD in Poetic Practice from Royal Holloway. Her first collection, a, came out from Les Figues in 2009, and her second collection, The Institute of Our Love in Disrepair, was published by Bad Press in 2012. In 2011, she was the poet in residence at the Victoria and Albert Museum. She lives in Clapton and works as a lecturer in poetry at the University of East Anglia.

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