BILSTON, Brian






No, You Cannot Borrow My Phone Charger

Help yourself to whatever
you’d like from my larder;
my stilton, my sherry –
or my port, if you’d rather –
but, no, you cannot borrow
my mobile phone charger.

If you want I will read you
an ancient Norse saga,
or dance naked in public
to Radio Gaga,
but, no, you cannot borrow
my mobile phone charger.

Make me learn the speeches
of President Carter,
forcefeed me quinoa
until I grow larger,
but, no, you cannot borrow
my mobile phone charger.

You can beg all you want
but I’m not going to barter
because, no, you cannot borrow
my mobile phone charger.