Many years ago in the city of St Francis I used to arrange what could be easily termed poetry happenings (lower case mine) these consisted of events such as triangular poetry circular poetry poetry without clothes poetry with clothes poetry orange poetry red  poetry from the perspective of animals and a thousand more and a thousand more and a thousand more

These happenings proved very popular and soon Ernest and I became quite wealthy which was slightly against our ideal

Poetry for All Poetry Inclusive

So quietly we funded American incursions into hostile countries usually in Central and South America

The United States of America is seen by many as the greatest democracy in the world

After all what is liberty without democracy

My name is Ernest Hemingway – now stop here I know that I share my name with a zebra in London Zoo and an American writer who committed suicide in 1961

I always blamed my parents Robert and Mary Show-Trial

For their eccentric choices

But they were hard working racist cops from the south

The bread and butter of America as they used to say

But they also named me Katie Raw

Which I rather liked

As I was gender fluid and saw no boundaries

I loved men and women equally

Katie loves Ernest – Ernest loves Katie

Was painted on the side of a grocery store

Which sadly is now derelict

 

I was born on the 29th of August 1955 aged one

Although the male side of me was considerably older

But this made little difference as I loved both Ernest and Katie equally

Ernest died nearly sixty years ago by his own hand

And I have been alone ever since although I was Sam Cooke for a while

But this too ended tragically so for many years I was a zebra across the pond

I was happy being a zebra but grew tired of the visitors photographing my nudity

You are wearing clothes for fucks sake respect me respect my striped body

I am a beautiful creature not a plastic toy that lives in its own shit

In another life I was a famous writer and a California blonde

On Friday the 17th of September 1973 Stephen Masefield was killed in a car crash

It was then I decided to escape the confines of the zoo and change into a seagull

I called myself J.L.S which I shortened to JLS as it was a hip thing to do

In 60/70s California and this is where I came in

You might pass me in the street and consider me beautiful

As after Sam died I decided not to age

This was a committed decision

I have lived many lives

Rosa Parks was my favourite

Followed by Betty Boo

I was Atticus Finch

And Mary Lou from 62

 

I am not as remarkable as some people think

Many people have the ability to control their aging process

It is all about mathematics and perfect numbers six and twenty-eight

If you understand this then the journey is rather easy

My parents may have been racist cops

But racist cops make good mathematicians

They taught me all I know and I owe them nothing

And a great debt that can never be repaid

 

Today I am sitting naked opposite Marcel D

We are playing chess

The year is 1963

JFK and Aldous Huxley are in the audience

An invitation was sent  to Clive Lewis

But he had to cancel as a new wardrobe was being delivered

I am very fond of my large breasts

I think that they are my best feature