Two Poems by Dane Holt

Poem from the New Life

Birds look at me differently in this new life,
like angels with discreet messages from God
-knows-where. Like God, the vocabulary of
this new life shrinks until nothing need be said.
In this new life I’m among others, aboard

a boat, and the sun takes its sweet time setting
so everyone can get a great photo—contre-jour—
of themselves in stark umbrous contrast, their
elbows resting on the bow rail. It’s the kind
of new life you only get one of if you’re lucky;

two if you’re not. One day (one day soon perhaps)
someone from the old life will find themselves
here, unsteady on their feet at first, and we’ll look
at each other and ask ‘what are you doing here?’
and neither of us will have an answer prepared.

Blue Suit

Time to get his story straight
but among other, more pressing concerns,
is his mouth: an amateur
jazz band of pain.

Time to get his story straight
but ‘why not do everyone a favour
and aim yourself for open water?’
is what she said.

Time to get his story straight
and pulling his own teeth
isn’t the answer
(although he can’t be sure).

‘Isn’t there always two sides
to every rattlesnake?’ he thinks
of saying. Even as a child
he’d had no imagination.

Dane Holt’s pamphlet, Many Professional Wrestlers Never Retire (Lifeboat Press), was a Poetry Book Society Pamphlet Choice 2023.