our increasingly
reckless behaviour
like a carelessly lit match
is rooted in guilt
residual doubt
gnawing at us
harassing us
in minuted hours
of stultifying routine
then long restless nights
begun with that ‘big bang’
while aside
& imprecisely
we only seek to measure effect
as wanton schoolboys
who watch a paddock burn
        something must have ignited it

First published at ‘Unnerving Magazine’ Issue #17, March 2022
edited by Eddie Generous