Fair Play (As the stars give and take) A poem by Tony Martin-Woods

Roaring Applause

“The future belongs  
to those who believe 
in the beauty of their dreams”
cried the politician, 
to the excited crowd
of tender eyes
hit by a trembling sunset

Roaring Applause

It was an evening 
of sweat, joy, hope, 
cheers, banners,  
drinks, hot dogs, 
mobile pics, 
flags and burgers, 
accidental rubbing 
of bodily parts, 
human communion, 
siblings in arms,
shoulder to shoulder,
etcetera, etcetera
and vice versa
all over again

They go home

now, the event 
has been consumed,
empty all around 
plastic 
tall walls  
plastic 
cheap stands 
enclosure  
formerly green 
ground of pride
covered 
with dead litter

No burial
or cremation
in this funeral 
of dusk.
   
Sigh
 
The happy cleaner 
in charge  
of clearing 
single-handedly 
all the mess  
went on to the silent stage   
and shouted
husky non-binary
vocal chords      
eyes cast on the sky: 

Sigh 


I am the only owner  
of my sexual fantasies 
with any of you
 
My brain is mine,
perhaps a glorified gut,
who knows

Every shot 
or scene   
that I project inside my head
with my genitalia-powered 
camera 
with my solo heart-pumped  
streaming 
belongs solely to me

No intellectual property! 
No performance rights! 
No subscription fees! 
 
Bring your own clothes, 
or make use 
of any  
of my free  
unlimited costumes  
in my free  
exclusive 
staff 
undressing room
 
I solemnly promise
I will not broadcast  
nor disseminate 
any footage whatsoever,  
so, please, 
don’t worry about pain  
or shame,  
or the pertinence 
or aesthetics   
of our postures: 
 
We all shall be healed 
 
in my dreams 
lonely 
we love each other, 
deep,
in full, 
as one 

Fair play 

Meanwhile,
high up,
neutron stars 
thinking themselves
as discreet hunters
fall prey
of inverse matter
of no colour
unthought of

For our light 
through darkness 
comes