Orphaned Islands (Un)poetry

An anxiety born in the Garden of Eden
the witness’s dilemma
presence can be trespass – even if legitimate.
Whisper to God
or wink at the devil?

In the first years we lived in temporary accommodation
a double skin canvas tent
wooden floor
wooden partitions
diesel stove
a death trap nicknamed the crematorium.

The rule was no smoking.
Absolutely forbidden.
Never.
Ever.
Serious consequences for any transgressor.

Saturday night
party night
the bars open until 1.00 a.m
the crematorium thought to be empty
except the anonymous misfit on the Sunday dawn shift.
10:30 p.m.
when the night still had octane
the party deserters, yet to
they came to her room.

The scent of fulfilment coiled in the air
distinctive to a tobacco non believer
to inform or not to inform?
Gillian never smoked any other time
and was quiet
except what preceded smoking
prolonged, bed pounding, wall shaking
lung emptying sex.

For the back story click Backstage

1200 people
hungry electrons
spinning around the nucleus of a single kitchen.
Limited medical facilities
2500 miles to nearest hospital
food borne illness constantly thought of
and unthinkable.
Sanitation. Mandatory.
Infection control. Essential

An expensive machine was installed in the pot wash
to combat dangers of raw meat
poultry
fish.
Fiendishly expensive
state-of-the-art
from Minnesota, Michigan or Wisconsin.
It never worked properly
choice
dismantle and return
or
have a specialist make house call.

House call it is
from Minnesota or Michigan or Wisconsin
via Port Hueneme California
and New Zealand
to McMurdo Antarctica.
The visiting specialist conducts endoscopic examination
the diagnosis accessible and jargon free
“it’s fucked in the guts.”

For the back story click Backstage

They prepared us well
the application package
and interview placing strong emphasis
on job volumes and variation
i.e. great and little
mundane work –  and lots of it.

At the beginning
janitorial staff thought kitchen workers
drew the short straw
so did we
until time colluded
passing quickly and collegially.

Most mess patrons were kind
and considerate(ish)
grateful
the gratitude of avoidance
this programme too large
for the kitchen rosters of small bases.
Nevertheless a significant minority were
“assholes.” Chapter 1 verse 1 Ray, Watch Captain.

Still, slaves can have fun at their masters expense
gratification filled by two mechanisms.
       1) Sighting an unpopular person and removing a popular item.
       2) Trapdoor humour.
Taking the piss
yanking their chains
spinning tall stories.

The first required sleight of hand
the second quicksilver of tongue.
Peter was clever, tail end of curve clever
and boyishly plausible
a middle-aged woman praised the water
how clear and clean it tasted.
“ We mix it up out the back
I’ll pass it on –  we’re always grateful for feedback, ”he replied earnestly.
“Please do it tastes really good.”

For the back story click Backstage