Heavy Ghosts by Jared A. Carnie

The heavy ghosts of Sheffield

spend their money on beer

just like you and me.

The heavy ghosts of Sheffield

drift between West Street Tesco

and Glossop Road Sainsburys.

They feed off winter air,

floored eyes

and sorry-that’s-all-I’ve-gots.

The heavy ghosts have living dogs.

We see them and we smile.

We think of them shivering in the rain

and we reach out to them

and tell them they are good.

The living dogs tugs at our heartstrings.

The heavy ghosts are there and waiting.

We build their coffins

out of 2ps and apologies.

---

Jared A. Carnie lives in Sheffield. He won a Northern Writers Award in 2015, and his debut novel, Waves, was published in 2016. He can be found at www.jaredacarnie.com.

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