Cai Draper

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Portrait from Memory

swag       chuckle        blue jean for a Megadrive
cream smooth garment            living room sweet boy
say the telly is deep as broad cousin
Sonic getting coin on a Saturday
now this          how nineties          say no one is too good for you
the way he ties my Gooner scarf pristine                       level up              
two step ridden like a wave                         I can’t
I’m begging him to turn it down
I’m eight                 his name is hidden
in a crowd                                  in a zone            
never get caught with a knife cousin
on sofa French kissing      I witness         say pulling            I can’t
Moschino ads line the walls like art
arch perfection of the Bulls cap    
his best friend dies in a crash               level up
pub            noughties              say hear me I’d die for you
my shirt in his fist                            but I can’t         
in Spoons              both listen and fight
his texts from the suburb in the morning
all eight

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CAI DRAPER is a poet from South London whose work appears in various magazines, anthologies & journals. He hosts poetry events with Arts at the Assembly House & organises free workshops at the Book Hive. @DraperCai