He knows that Icelandic sheep are white
and their lambs are black so they can be seen
in the snow when they’re young. He knows
a village of gnomes lives in the UK’s deepest lake.
He is a suited chauffeur by day.
At weekends he sleeps on the back seat
of our minibus while we climb mountains
and listens to dance music while we sleep
to keep his eyes awake and us safe
on the roads he knows like a brother.

© Carl Burkitt 2022