Last month, NITRB had the chance to interview poet Samantha Maw about her writing and the time she spent teaching in Uganda. Now, we bring you Goat on a Bike, a poetic exploration of emigration. ‘In Uganda, every day the strange and unexpected were ordinary,’ says Maw. ‘Returning to the UK, with its clear rules and ingrained manners, was the real culture shock.’
Goat on a bike
An undignified turkey
swinging
beady-eyed
upended
feathers dancing
in the breeze
37 trays of eggs
on her head held
steady with a
scarred hand
A clutch of children
unbound behind a boda
grinning fearlessly in
in the heat-soaked wind
A cackle of chickens
scattering like marbles
across the
orange dust
A confused tortoise
airborne like a trophy
The seller hoping for a good price
The product dreaming of lettuce
and a safe, warm box
A giant yellow bloom
of jerry cans banging
out a hollow tune
A woman walking
in her Sunday best
no shoes
A broad-chested man
with a Hello Kitty Jacket
and a Santa hat
playing pool under a
hot tin roof
All traffic ignoring the red
lights and the Puffa fish
law enforcers in their white
jumpsuits and
oversized black boots
Armchairs stacked high
on a pick-up
a suited recliner enjoying
the wind on his face
The Blessed Furniture Centre
The Alleluia Tea Room Amen
This strangeness suits me
wraps around my soul
like I’ve returned home.
Samantha’s Radio Show Word Perfect is currently accepting commissions from writers. You can reach Samantha at smaw@sirenonline.co.uk
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