New verse by Bill Nelson of Wellington.

Someone needs to take control

You should be planting autumn crops!
The calendar says every morning
from under its flimsy door magnets.
Seed your onions! Mound your potatoes!
In the real world, wild and disowned,
heirloom tomatoes infiltrate silver beet.
A patch of rocket, perhaps self-seeded,
elbows a miserable spinach plant
out of the way. Think about watering every day!
The seedlings I managed to label with a question mark
have grown large and ominous.

In my third season as coach of Real Madrid
I’ve managed to develop the world’s
most promising players. Statistically speaking
they are superstars, freaks of vision
and dribbling skill yet here I am
at the bottom of the ladder
drinking red wine from a water glass.
It’s a simple game people! Perhaps
I encourage them too much or in the big matches
not enough. Mostly they run in circles.
I mash the buttons. Chickens
scratch at the dust.

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