Sunflower Spiral

from Northern Sketches by Gary Bunting

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lyrics

Sunflower Spiral

It’s one of those mornings when you know the summer’s fading
There’s a nip, an edge to the air
The light has ceased being electric
And has become that muted blue grey shade
It’s not quite autumn
The leaves haven’t fallen onto the mulchy ground
It’s the time when the sunflowers wilt
And tilt their heads, bowed down
And their spirals slowly unravel

I have a doctor’s appointment and I sit
Alone in the waiting room
Admiring the emerald green tiles
And the ornamental benches
The lone sunflower outside
Pixelated through the frosted glass
The lush yellow petals wavering

I have a good arm for extracting blood
I would have made an amazing heroin addict
Fist clenched, the veins glow
For a moment I am William Burroughs

But y’know, the older you get
The less confidence you have at your appointments
The pokes and prods, the coughs and the nods
That hanging silence
The creak of my leather jacket amplified around the walls
The form filling, the box ticking, the pen clicking
A horn blasts from the street below
Is that the clock or my heart beating?
I notice the enormousness of my breathing
I mean, come on
Measure me for the coffin already!

No, I’m fine, but time, y’know?
If I live to my grandfather’s age
I’m just past my halfway stage in life
If I reach the age of my mum
I can count the years on my fingers and thumbs
A sobering thought for anyone.

credits

from Northern Sketches, released October 22, 2021

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Hello America Stereo Cassette

A new record label releasing audio recordings of writers' work. Poems backed by noise. Novels as audio books. Stories on cassettes. Curated by Adam Gnade. Currently accepting submissions.