A girl called Cody came to the desk to ask about the lexicon.
I put my black pint on the beermat marked PURITY.
Which reminded me of the state’s new format to entertain the boy :
a steel toecapped boot in the animal A–Z pop-up book.
Someone asked : why would one human bite the neck of another?
straight-off : a juicy strawberry sellotaped to the throat.
It was the first time I’d heard of ears curling after death –
mine always curled after a bath. My ears think I’m dead.