Empty Corners - Steve Coel

High Congregation

Steve Coel

Empty Corners

Steve Coel

Stepping away from the street

through a broken 

broad open two door,

you painfully walk

into a high congregation

of brown paper

and leather.

Once inside

along each damp tired wall

you discover anointed paint

quietly peeling,

and unclean fragile carpet

frayed by disappointment,

falling into

gloomy empty corners

stacked high with rotting chairs.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

The Proposal - Steve Coel

heb deitl

Steve Coel

The Proposal

Steve Coel

Cut

into bitter wet stone

by masters of dead trades,

your life story.

Brief like you

words torn from broken parents

target the elders,

who created your passing.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

Heavy Locks - Steve Coel

Arbrofion gweledol / lliw

Steve Coel

Heavy Locks

Steve Coel

Quarrels echo

across the yard

toward

a large watery gate.

Grey

figures turn

hiding their hands

and run,

as animals scatter

with the wind

that howls.

Down the hill

women gather

and men glare

behind vast whiskers

in photographs

of heavy locks,

that fasten decisions

from the outside.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

Middle Lane Birds - Steve Coel

The Mercy Path

Steve Coel

Middle Lane Birds

Steve Coel

Along hidden

grassed up middle lane

birds swoop as insects

skirt and skit.

Time here is held in place

by bells

distant with summer

brown and crinkled blue.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

The Mercy Path - Steve Coel

Croft - Solva: The Mercy Path

Steve Coel

The Mercy Path [v.3 ]

Steve Coel

Once you bypass

the last starched lightning tree

you enter a hillside world 

of midnight stream 

and border wire music.

Here, across shilling debris, 
early shadow 

and blisters of high mist,

nature composes movement

from iron and broken bone.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

Pretend Hats - Steve Coel

heb deitl [ 2019 ]

Steve Coel

Walking Notes [ November 2019 ]

Sand slipstreams

Ugly water washes up dead fish

Sharp grass holds the broken fence

Spindles of cold web frame the splintered window

The slippery path creaks with unearthed memories

Unaccustomed smells, stale with twisted intent

Padlocks protect broken fields from broken people

Arcades brimming with pretend hats and spiteful games

Debt plagues you like two coins rubbed clear

These hills are consuming their history 

as the past is slowly wiped out by nature

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

Rust on Cloth - Steve Coel

Rust on Cloth [ 2019 ]

Steve Coel

Rust On Cloth
Steve Coel

The Right Shadow

Daytime Hideaways [ v.2 ]

Owl Eye Brown

Rust on Cloth

Spare Change for Twisted Feet

Cracked Smile

No Paths

The Right Shadow

Grey, when you's staying

at Clink Hotel.

Black, when you returns home

to no fixed address.

Each casts

the right shadow,

makes you invisible.

Makes you useful.

Daytime Hideaways [ v.2 ]

In back spaces

unseen from roads

and rear view mirrors,

between rubble

and broken glass,

shaking hands

are being shaken.

Here 

tracksuits are worn

to hide shape,

weapons,

sex.

And trade

is invisible,

unknown.

Owl Eye Brown

With stick on smiles

all owl eye brown

girls look down

long avenues

of car metal

gutter full

with wish and dream,

as;in hastily bought clothes;

their tattered boyfriends

hustle shadow money

from grey figures

in barely lit parks.

This place,

a simple place

empty of mirth,

hope and future.

Rust on Cloth

You walks along

striding lengths

of vacant brick

where even today

you never sees

new cars.

And sliding pass

pub windows

that shield

sun and rain

and bad dreams

you gets 

the full

yeasty blast

of damp cloth

and old men

sharing lies

over warm beer

and brown fingers.

Spare Change for Twisted Feet

People 

you wants,

needs,

is every time

busy.

Is why

you's

visiting

Clink Hotel.

Is truth.

Cracked Smile

Like

two coins

rubbed clear

your cracked smile

is a daily reminder

of the

last fight

30 years ago.

No Paths

Here,

where young people

never return

and there are no paths,

is the place

language comes to die

and old people

stop to watch

lost cars 

race past.

Rust on Cloth: available on request from An 11.59 Publication

Rust on Cloth

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

Half Stolen Buildings - Steve Coel

Trading Places

Steve Coel

Half Stolen Buildings [ v.7 ]

Steve Coel

In regulation daytime armour

cracking with coarse whispers

and yesterdays broken promise,

the young girl pushes

her vape shadowed carrier

past steamed up pub windows.

Her world is the High Street,

where each day

a bitter grey tide

shambles downhill

towards abandoned blue churches

and disappearing city light.

And it is here

plastic shoes will slap 

into one off needles

that litter fishless gutters

and where even on dry days,

the pavement is damp.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

No Paths - Steve Coel

Trading Places

Steve Coel

No Paths

Steve Coel

Here,

where young people

never return

and there

are no paths,

is the place
language goes to die
and old people
stop to watch
lost cars 
drive pass.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

Scratches jotted on car door handles - Steve Coel

Trading Places

Steve Coel

Scratches jotted on car door handles

Steve Coel

You walks ahead

so you can 

keep an eye

on his back.

Even now,

now when you's

both been outside

6 months.

And you's 

still wearing

trademark greys

with parallel pockets

and your newest clasp,

like all bad habits,

is difficult

to break.

Of course we sees

your interesting walk

straightaway.

Looks like

you's both walking

at the same pace.

But you isn't.

Is trick

you needs to learn

and practice.

Brings unneeded attention

if you looks

like you's running.

Which you is really.

Even so, you's brave.

Got to be round this way.

Thing is

you's both got to try

harder to stop

being this stupid.

Although, fair does,

everyone knows

two heads is better than one.

So well done there.

Is clear peoples got 

to break you up 

if they's going

to get better deal 

than you.

And that's 

how it always starts. 

Always.

Takes three

to break two

and four

to break three

and so on.

Is how wars start.

So: twos

easier to deal with.

Trust like.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

Cracked Smile - Steve Coel

Trading Places

Steve Coel

Cracked Smile

Steve Coel

Like 

two coins

rubbed clear

your cracked smile

is a daily reminder

of the

last fight

30 years ago.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

In the Blood - Steve Coel

Stryd Uchel

Steve Coel

In the Blood

Steve Coel

You's probably seen my picture in the papers.

Looks bit different now I does.

Big fella then like.

Once done lot of adverts

for Board on the tele.

Today though, things changed.

Can't stick jobs anymore.

Nerves shot see.

All started 

when Dad managed to talk 

six of us onto shift 

at the Ellington.

Laugh it was really, 

cos we's on holiday with the club

at the time. 

Mum was furious.

So it goes, years seem to shoot by.

But I wasn't laughing last time 

I's down the pit.

Cos after 15 hours solid graft

I only came up with 

me best mates arms. 

Didn't want my pictures

in papers then.

Trust me.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

Spare Change for Twisted Feet - Steve Coel

Stryd Uchel

Steve Coel

Spare Change for Twisted Feet

Steve Coel

People

you wants,

needs,

is everytime

busy.

Is why

you's always

visiting

Clink Hotel.

Is truth.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

Cycling for Happiness - Steve Coel

Stryd Fawr / Stryd Uchel

Steve Coel

Cycling for Happiness

Steve Coel

In fairness she was expecting the water to be pretty cold.

After all, it was November and she knew well enough that

what her family really needed was some sun on their bones.

But there you go, what you gonna do about it?

So, even with money being short and that, she'd taken them

all away for the weekend for a treat.

The break she reckoned would do them all a bit of good.

Houses were mostly boarded up it being out of season,

but she had managed to book them into a side street B and B.

Thing is rides on front were all boarded up for the winter too.

Result being kids were pretty miserable.

But they say that a change of scenery can put a lot of

other things in the shade.

So they say.

Like I've heard that if you drives on to your foot

adrenalin can give you the strength to pick the

car up and move your foot clear.

So I've heard.

Still, no-one's too sure where she got the strength

to go into the sea with the kids like that.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

Rust on Cloth - Steve Coel

Dyn Chwilfrydig y Mor

Arfordir Byw

Steve Coel

Rust on Cloth

Steve Coel

You walks along

striding lengths

of vacant brick

where even today

you never sees 

new cars.

Sliding past 

pub windows

that shield 

sun and rain

and bad dreams,

you gets

the full

yeasty blast

of damp cloth

and old men

sharing stories,

over warm beer

and brown fingers.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication

Empty Chair - Steve Coel

Empty Chair 

a selection of microflashfictions

Late for Work Again.

Steve Coel

Flexi - time.

Steve Coel

Busy stock taking. In the basement.

Steve Coel

Power failure.

Steve Coel

Wrong leaves. Late train.

Steve Coel

Two weeks jury service.

Steve Coel

Fire drill.

Steve Coel

False alarm. Probably.

Steve Coel

New cook in the staff canteen.

Steve Coel

Food poisoning.

Steve Coel

Annual leave. Staying in caravan owned by 

that quiet accounts guy in the office.

Steve Coel

Busy. Really busy.

Steve Coel

Employee of the month. Again.

Steve Coel

Footnote.
A fictional workplace.
Probably.

Steve Coel

An 11.59 Publication