pavuk, pavuk
wee christmas spider
says, ‘kill me not’
for above my candle
she weaves the world
protects me in my sleep
warm air rotating
i’m as old as my tongue now
& a wee bit older than my teeth
no masters, kings nor gods
everything’s a dream now
she keeps me safe in my sleep
by TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2025
hey, rocketman, where are your wings
where are your heart-shaped sunglasses
& what are those drops of blood there
smeared along that yellow brick road
who’ll save you from critical thought
you think it’s gonna be your time
who’ll spoon-feed you zen magic now
the touchdown’s gonna smash you up
rocketman, where’s your piano
your pocketful of skimming stones
exchanged your ticket to the moon
for cheeky mooning & moonshine
who’ll grant you the life that you sought
you’ve fought so hard to make that climb
who’ll sing to you your swan song now
that splashdown’s gonna wreck you up
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2024
stale memories in the cupboard
forgotten dusty souvenirs
that shirt you used to wear to church
the viola case on which you’d perch
those magazines with bums & tits
that more wholesome mickey mouse pin
you found on the path two streets over
near to the white cliffs of dover
the tin with lollies stuck together
mint & lemon with orange peels
‘twould be best to not partake
of these out-of-date belly quakes
faded photos with shabby corners
also out-of-date, make the heart shake
the more years fly, the more’s at stake
for lives with dead dreams in their wake
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2019
one day the currents will turn around
the waters will carry the ocean floor
the foam will meet the impossible sky
make rainclouds in the realm of angels
vociferous sirens will hymn to gods
rake their tails o’er thorny sea stars
and soldier crabs will one day return
in battalions from know-not-where
it’s all rolling away
into much stranger days
and the deeper trenches
of mariana
splendour sand kingdoms will rise and fall
leave wet traces of their past greatness
folded into eddies of possibility
many of which ne’er before conceived
whole universes to curl into shell
that i press so gentle to your tiny palm
a nautilus distillation of dreams
a whispering promise of endless scenes
it’s all rolling away
into much stranger days
and the deeper trenches
of mariana
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2024
Today I dreamt that I’d crapped my pants off. Yes, pants full of warm, steamy poo down around my ankles. The kind of poo that comes out of you like toothpaste from a tube.
Being an optimist, I googled what good things this could mean. Scrolling through dozens of sites revealed meanings from ‘Problems with money should be anticipated’ to ‘Your financial status will significantly improve in the near future’.
Naturally, none of these happened. I’m a performing circus chimp with clown pants. I don’t need money, just a nice big banana to provide that extra roughage my diet needs.
by TETIANA ALEKSINA & TONY SINGLE
© All rights reserved 2023
unbolt me 