Two Poems by Jo Somerset

 

QUEUEING AT GREGGS

 

What a difference a dough makes.

Kneading her

as if they’d never had that scorching row,

hoping she’ll rise

                                    and rise again

after the next punching down,

                                                this time playful,

grabbing by the handful,

her giving way to

plunging fingers sinking stickily

 

and being shaped and rolled

and tucked into lightly greased pans,

eased in by loving hands.

And oh, so delicately

                                    rising once more

                                    - some call it proving –

before the heat’s turned up,

a gaze at her perfect dome,

                                    and sliding her in to bake.

 

What a difference a dough makes.

FAT PIGEON

 

Fat pigeon

found a pizza on the pavement.

She pecked and pulled

            at pastry,

            and poked pepperoni

down her throat,

popping nibs of corn

between pieces of pineapple.

She squeezed stringy cheese

between her beak.

Then, stuffed,

she preened.

Jo Somerset (she/her) is a Manchester-based UK writer whose word portraits emanate from her personal connections. In 2020 she won the Leanne Bridgewater Award for Innovation and Experiment at Salford University, where she completed a MA in Creative Writing. Her work features in online and print LGBTQ+, literary and academic publications. She loves the fun as well as serious side of writing.

Twitter: @josomerset 

Web: https//:josomersetwriter.wordpress.com