England, (b. 1957)
The Pig in the Morning
- The pig in the morning, when I queue
- on the road to work, knows better than me.
- She knows the bell-like sway of her saggy
- teats as she trots from the slop bucket to
- the gate. Her raised snout sniffs that slack brew:
- the swill, the mud, her dung, the scummy
- water. It smells like happiness, this simplicity,
- though I can’t judge. All I know is my view
- of her pink and black patched size, her weight,
- the stocky dance of her steps by the fence,
- the pennants of her ears tapping her fat
- noble head. So much for my reliance
- on wages, work, these wheels, not being late.
- Her bum and belly lumber. Her jowls bounce.
© Robert Hamberger. Blue Wallpaper. Hove, UK: Waterloo Press (2019).
About the Poet:
Robert Hamberger, England, (b. 1957), is a poet, reviewer, social worker and educator. His poetry has been featured as the Guardian Poem of the Week, on BBC Radio 4 and in British, American, Irish and Japanese anthologies, including Collective Brightness: LGBTIQ Poets on Faith, Religion and Spirituality (USA, 2011) and five themed Emma Press anthologies (2014-2019, UK).
Hamberger has published six poetry pamphlets including The Rule of Earth from Smith/Doorstop and four full-length collections. Blue Wallpaper (Waterloo Press, 2019) was shortlisted for the 2020 Polari Prize. [DES-10/21]