Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
 
They are typed by an absurdist sprite
who gets the gist right enough
often enough
but is forever going back
to second-guess himself,
sometimes taking two or three goes
to get it properly right.
 
And though not seeing people’s mouths
is tiresome, and we rather read
than see the plot develop,
he is a friendly ghost,
and sometimes cannot help himself,
tipping over into the ludicrous
and even, simply, the ludic.
 
So this young man making his debut
for Manchester United
is unnatural furniture,
we are visited by Apache rain,
on Saturday night there will be Gaels
and Penelope is waiting
for a gaseous return.

David Callin


If you have any thoughts on this poem,  David Callin would be pleased to hear them.