Stuart Miller-Osborne

Night is near On the host branches of trees Starlings will gather And chatter excitedly About the fading day   An aerial ballet Without music Has now ended And the thin sky is now clear   Tomorrow clouds of starlings Will dance again in the low light Whilst others will swarm and swim And consider…

In her dream Jean Timpson Was sitting on a wall Above a beach She was topless And wondered why   Market traders Were approaching her And discussing the colour red   In the distance she could see An industrial plant Polluting the sea the sky And the land   She could see minute crabs Playing…

I have been the village For eight years I am married to both a mother and daughter Named Nina In the mornings They work the fields And I am left in charge Of the railway station Six trains run in each direction Twice a day As I only have one leg My brother helps me…

The village of Luminous is located On the edge of the Great Plains It can be reached by road Although rail travel is advised Its location which is about five hours From the capital city Is sought after As the village sits on geothermal springs Even in winter the village is considered warm And workers…

Workers are encouraged to run in the long grasses Beside the lake During daylight hours Illicit bathing has been known to take place After dark This is punishable by banishment Offenders will not be allowed To return to the village For five years  

In the village Railwaymen work the fields And farmers run the trains Each man and maiden Has an allocated bunk In a designated barn Although nudity is commonplace No congress is allowed Except on the Lord’s day  

If you go down to the Apple Kelp Farm At one o’clock You will be met by a mother and daughter Who are both called Nina They will offer you refreshment After a pause You will be invited to bathe In the luminous waters Of the spa that adjoins The railway station     

On all Underground stations Whose names begin with S You will find a scaffold   I was informed of this as I brushed dust From Mr Johnston’s coat   Quick we will miss our train and will late for the theatre   Do record your day I was asked   Leytonstone to West Brompton is…

When I left the underground station Night had fallen A dignified flower-seller Gave me a red pencil Topped with a plastic seagull I forgave her immediately And we began speaking of earthworms  

When my underground train stopped in the tunnel I saw the word needless Painted on the wall above the cables The carriage was crowded But no-one else noticed it Which puzzled me   Two girls were living together in an apartment They loved each other But they loved music more intensely Quite often the taller…