rob walker
 


rob walker’s first full collection micromacro (Seaview Press) was delivered in 2006 after a twenty year gestation period. He’s published online, onpage, onradio and onCD. His latest chapbook is phobiaphobia - poems of fear and anxiety (Picaro Press). He moved to Himeji, Japan in January 2008.

 

 

cello


we drift
into sleep. my hand
an explorer wandering
your familiar valleys and
mountains playing the 
xylophone of your 
back. you are a cello 
my hand languid
draped on 
your
waist
for 
an
8 
bar
rest

 


Danny in detention  

 

Dad   works   at   Hills   but   he
hasta  go to  the  physio.  for  his
arm.  whennie   was   a   kid   his bruvva   useta     twist    is   arma
round.  me   bruvva  &  me  fight
all  the  time  he’s  16 I’m 11 but
I  can  bash  im  up.  he’s psycho
he  calls  me  pissweak so I bash
im. dad belted me. I  adta  go  to
bed ungry. me  bruvva works  at
kfc. dozen  gimme  nuffin.  dad’s
got  is  own   playstation   in   the lounge.                             dozen
lettuce     uzit        tho

 


 

The koan before the satori
(a long haiku / short tanka)

One hand is clapping in a forest,
                                   unseen

The other crushed by a falling tree,
presumably
                                       also unseen

 

Koan: a Zen teaching riddle
Satori: the spiritual goal of Zen Buddhism,
roughly translating as individual Enlightenment,
 or a flash of sudden awareness.