“Breaking the Sound Barrier of History” © John Engstrom

 

beetle mania

punched off my feet, I lay on my back
enamel shell scuffing and scraping
against the hard, rough pavement
waiting for an ignorant foot
to cast a long shadow and crush me

amusement to boys who laughed,
flicking me with their fingers
watching me spin in dizzy circles,
upturned carrousel of foot faced horses
vulnerable to the other boys
to their sharp pins and darker hearts

 

Andy Eycott lives and works South of the River Thames in London. He was diagnosed with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions later in life. Since, he tries to explore and explain how he encounters the world via poetry.

John Engstrom is a Boston-based artist-author-poet. A retired journalist-museum worker, he serves as Arts critic for the Fenway News. His collages and poems appear on Facebook and Divergents Magazine.