Email subject lines land
like fists in the middle of the day
making you wish you knew
what boxers mean by duck and move
or the names of clouds,
or tried enough crisp flavours,
swam naked from time to time,
licked more stamps instead of listening
to stories about spider eggs on envelopes,
drank fizzy drinks, dealt with trapped wind,
wore shorts around the house,
stayed in touch before batteries died.

© Carl Burkitt 2022