Dinah Livingstone

Captivity Captive

Katabasis, 1971.

...Today we made an acorn man
in Regent's Park.
We called him Midge.
He said:
I am God.
I made the dark
and you and all these trees.
I am bored.
I want to go to Baker Street.
This is the iron bridge
hung with flowers and berries
which is my road.
We went across.
Put on my hat,
he cried.
I am God
coming to Baker Street...

From part 3 of a dramatic poem in 5 parts.

Glad Rags

Katabasis, 1983.

Law and Order.

It's Tory policy
to give these people
a short sharp shock:
jolly good idea!

Late again last week,
I biked through Regent's Park
against regulations.
As I approached the broad walk,
up roared a lorry,
abruptly braked by the fountain.
Two men jumped down,
walked round to the tackle at the back,
some crane-like ironmongery.

It's Tory policy [repeated]

In a flash I knew
what they meant to do:
hang me, string me high on that gibbet.
Well, I know Mrs. Thatcher
wants to increase police power
but this is ridiculous:
summary execution
in Regent's Park of a poet
merely for riding a bike!...

Keeping Heart: Poems 1967-89

Katabasis, 1989.

Middlemost

Within the outer circle
the inner
and there
what had been
the learning haven
became the unspeakable
sleek black nightmare
the appalling pounding
sudden squad car
uniformed men
having huge power
hustling one off alone
to abomination of desolation...

The inner circle
flaunts the brilliant garden
crimson roses creamy
some memory-scented
stripy lawn with daisies
ornamental water
where willows dip
to kingcups and lilies
and a shallow curve of poplars
at whose feet fuchsias bow
shelters the central fountain
piled with mer people...

Previously published in Love and Rage, 1987.