The Villainy Veining This Village

(Part VII Of The Candletree Graves Poetry Sequence)

Here, you get Judged, harshly,
for one thing only ‘Weakness’
… people will take off you,
without even needing it,
purely out of disapproving disgust.
Violence, outside of temper,
is merely healthy competition,
and a means to ladder-rung up.
Folk, look for the ‘Roar’
alive and trapped within
your hunted and predator eyes.
The younger, up-and-coming kids,
who show the most promise,
always get a sly smile
off one of the hardest bastard adults
as he’s a-clouting fuck outta him
for having the ‘bollocks’
to get caught thieving from his land.
But, it’s the Women
who you really need to look out for,
especially the Widows of the Rope
… for they’ve been given the Gift
to see all in-between things,
and they killer-chess-move
away all threats with masterstrokes.

Paul Tristram is a widely published Welsh writer who deals in the Lowlife, Outsider, and Outlaw genres.  He wrote his first poem as a teenager following his release from the (Infamous) Borstal ‘HMP Portland’, and he has been creating Literary Terrorism ever since.  His novel ‘Crazy Like Emotion’ is available to purchase right here . Also his collection of shorter fiction Kicking Back Drunk ‘Round The Candletree Graves' is available to purchase at https://bookgoodies.com/a/B0DFMTSR4F Both books are published by Close To The Bone Publishing. Read other articles by Paul, or visit Paul's website.