Anne Gill is a recent graduate from the University of Birmingham, UK and is due to study her MA at Newcastle University next year. She was shortlisted for the Outspoken Prize for Poetry 2018 and was part of the winning slam team at UniSlam 2018. She has performed at events in both the UK and the US.

Image: André Schmucki, ‘Drifting Clouds’, 2016

Parasomnia

Spiders,
the size of Penguin 2’s skull,
float from the ceiling
and he can’t
blink as they wade
through eyeballs
and the tears
on his chest.

Someone is next to him
and Penguin 2 can’t
scream or move
and he keeps thinking
this is a dream this is
a dream this is a dream but
there is someone next to him
and he can’t close his eyes
and a spider sits
on the light switch.

The body

Penguin 2 trips
into a puddle of water.

The puddle is unclean
and sticks in his feathers
and plats them into mats.

Penguin 2 can feel the body
of water sloshing on his skin.

Hillingdon 04.02.1995

We touch you with
outstretched fingers and
you give us
bite marks.

You cry – mouth opening
up
like the sky
after rainfall

We wrap you
like it’s Christmas again.

We are told that you’re
the best present but
we would prefer Lego.