Julie Chevalier’s short-story collection, Permission to Lie, was published by Spineless Wonders in 2011. Two poetry collections are forthcoming from Puncher & Wattmann:  linen tough as history, and Darger: his girls.

 

 

 

haunted girl lines my pocket with headlines

girl sends me off forever but to sing       novena sends me girl      sends me off forever        girl
sends me to hospital girl reveals the clinic           girl sends me spelling              didn’t send the
question       girls sends off clouds from the window      sends me off forever the ward where I
was washing a girl        but washing the floor          wanted girl sends me a blossom on a lunch
tray     girl sends dead bouquet in the rubbish    a pissing patient girl gave      newspapers send
me off girls      forever sang about girl      forever off girls but      moving girls send girls away
forever snow didn’t girl didn’t     sends me axe to shave      stopped        broke the food trolley
coming        girl sends me off

 

 

& dribbled catsup on his clean shirt       april 12, 1972

as soon as mr darger left for mass          yeah, four times a day           i sneaked into his room & grabbed the clothes off
his chair        really hot water & extra scoops of lux         out of the bendix & pegged to the line       david suggested the
goofy old coot take a bath       no siree      we brazillians don’t like to bathe in winter       april 12, hardly        of course
he’s not brazillian              i ironed the clothes dry while he was in the tub           the old man grimaced when we yelled
surprise happy birthday       just us lodgers & the landlords       in the yard          he bent down to pick up a rusty bottle
cap & could hardly stand up again        leaned on a chair & stared at the clouds           he fed hot dog sandwiches to the
landlord’s dog         the only thing he said was the good lord always claps thunder on my birthday           i wouldn’t say
grateful for the angel cake, no       three pieces       my seven minute icing      the new tube pan didn’t stick        the dog
followed him halfway up the stairs to his room