Barefoot in
the Grass
by Ian Mullins
she's a danger to herself,
the police say; you never know
who might pass
and who might stop, turn around
and move in for the kill:
but perhaps that's what she wants,
the woman in the local news
who stands beside the lonely road
wearing a long coat
and a simple smile,
waiting for lost
and lonely drivers
before she gently
opens her coat
to feel eyes soft as winter wind
stroke her bared skin as quietly
as a cat rubs fur against your legs,
discreetly marking you as someone
who knows how to
love, how to play;
a warm lap to curl
on when
the house is so lonely
and cold
the wise thing to do is to get outside
and soak a little more winter
deep into your bones, risking nothing more
than running for your lonely life
when the eyes are too wide, too cold:
when the nice policeman will offer
nothing but a blanket and a warm ride home
Ian Mullins
ships out from Liverpool, England. Laughter in the Shape of a Guitar (UB)
struck few chords in 2015. Almost Human (Original Plus), concerning his
ongoing battle with autism, was let loose in 2017. The superhero-themed collection, Masks and
Shadows (Wordcatcher), took off in 2019. Take A Deep Breath (Dempsey
and Windle) followed in 2020.