Root Canal

CANAL – the Panama one – cuts a water-filled
GORGE through the middle of a former
HAVEN, not only disturbing its peace, but
USURPing it.

Koala

CROWN of my day’s achievements: finding the weight of a
KOALA in our care. The other vets gave up, but before I took the
FERRY home, I managed to weigh the koala toddler, and not
SPANK the side of my head with frustration. Cute kid.

Flower fanatic

The
GUIDE, with a botanist’s penchant for
FLAIR of a particular type, pointed out each
DAISY on the way, overlooking the particular. My
PURSE hurt; I’d paid for something more compelling.

Detail

CLEAN carefully the crown so
REGAL, my crown-cleaning servant. Be not
HASTY, my crown-cleaning
CRONY, thou hast missed a jewel or two.

Cough

TOUGH was the cough; staying home cost me
DOUGH, rough though it was, lying home
DYING, reading Ulysses with Leopold
PLUME – sorry, Bloom – in the tomb of my room.

Yer Granny

Oh yer
CANNY shove yer granny off a bus;
NOMADder if she never makes a fuss.
SNORT loud she might and biff yer, she’s
CABIN (‘scuse the cold) for to get yer; oh yer
CANNY shove yer granny off a bus.

Canny

A SCOT, wha hae with Wallace bled, did
FEIGN that he himself were dead; used
CHALK to mark his face as pale, and
EAGER, lived to tell the tale.

Fixed

THETA, in uppercase symbol, is shorthand for all manner of
RAJAH-important science and maths statements. My favourite, the to-the-
MANOR-born Pentaquark: four quarks and a antiquark fixed together, like a
LOUSE fixed between two fingers on the day you finally catch one.

Alone

SPINY spine shivers – the
WALTZ tune is serpentine, the tune slithers amongst the
ORGAN reeds, equally creeping, sneaking, snaking through my bones,
ALONE, chilled, in this densely crammed dance hall.