He declared it – his love – with spray paint
the colour of an infected organ on the bridge
halfway down a local dual carriage way.
He declared it at night – his love –
as not to scare daytime drivers
into thinking he was a teenager plotting
to drop bricks on car bonnets or a jumper
minutes before his final minute
or a police officer with a speed gun.
It was difficult – his love –
to write upside down using his weak hand
as his strongest held his body
from the railing. He declared it – his love –
on the road leaving town.

© Carl Burkitt 2023