from the poetry collection Track Tales by Mercedes Webb-Pullman, published October 2017 …
ISBN (paperback) 978-1-925536-35-5
ISBN (eBook) 978-1-925536-36-2
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I show them how to
squash roaches underfoot with
a tap-dance step, while singing
from A thousand cockroaches deep
call Aussie Bill with the day’s results
at 6 on the dot. Or risk execution
from The Green Apple
Glenys smiles. It’s like seeing lips on a shark
from A fair dinkum champion
But she’s not happy, keeps waving
the monkey at me
from From both sides now
‘He’s a crawling piece of shit’ according
to Mr Nasty. ‘Went to Moocher University.’
from The Moose
He sells his car and catches a train to the races
with a pocket full of cash, convinced he’s a
genius. This is how the sickness works
from The Teach
You can’t really tell
when you’re winning
from The treachery of numbers
I watch the barrel, the black hole that just swallowed
time. If I sneeze he’ll kill me
from Moving in at Systrum Street
punters at fever pitch, the shove and jostle,
sweat and bad breath, the dips working hot,
the noise
from The Voice of Doom
His wife comes across like a North Shore matron
but she’s as outrageous as he is
from O Shoshonya!
I’ve never felt so frightened in my life, yet so removed
from it at the same time
from The day we leave the bag behind
We’ve been married exactly fifteen minutes. So that’s
how long my marriage lasts, really
from Marrying Mr. Nasty
He brings us gifts, purses
of treasure, masses of red-gold eggs glistening
from Ronny the Fish
each brick is two
thousand dollars, and there are dozens. I’m
about to burn them
from Buster
That’s what the phone calls from
Avis in Lima Peru were all about
from A giant walnut
‘Flames out both sides of the block! You wouldn’t
believe the bang!’ Lucky the jets aren’t damaged
from The Jet Boat
a little shrug and tug, the top’s
gone, leaving a tiny Chrismas bra
from The stripper on the Rails
‘You just don’t understand the way things work
at the races.’ He’s right. I don’t. I’m learning, though
from The Minister
Court case follows court case for years, alliances alter,
set some against others for life
from Family Connections
‘See what that
silly prick does? He pisses himself!’
from The man in the Kombi van
Who paints a horse? It goes to weigh-in dripping paint.
Even Eagle Farm stewards have to take some action
from Not-So-Fine Cotton
‘We move around a bit’ says Ron. ‘Makes it harder
for the cops to track me.’ Like it’s a game they play
from The SP joint
working flat out on the first leg
of the Melbourne daily double when the locked doors
burst open and in come the cops
from I go to Court, and get busted again
Like a wave he came in,
and went, leaving the ocean undiminished
from Frank Hardy
George frowns, taps his glasses.
‘Worst thing that can happen to anyone, winning
their first bet.’
from The moneybox
I know his head
from the track, a tall, good-looking dude, always polite.
The heavies show him a lot of respect
from The wong Wong
We snap the mast one day when
Mr. Nasty is trying to get one of the keels
to break surface
from Messing about in boats
Won’t even put on a coat when it rains.
He thinks changing clothes will change his luck
from Superstitions
I grovel. I piss myself. I stare at my boots, wondering if
I’ll see my kids again, how Mary will manage
without me
from Some jockeys are deadly
‘Don’t worry, love, can’t hurt him now’
comforts Mr. Nasty, but that doesn’t help
from The ashes
Truth Serum Press 