PhD

I got a PhD! I got a PhD! I’m a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Sociology: I wrote a lengthy dissertation on the Death of the Nation, and got flown to France. I got a PhD, and I’m working class. I got a PhD! I got a PhD! I’m a Doctor of Philosophy in Biology:…

The cost of dreaming

Middle-class dreams in working-class sleeves Acquiring property and speaking of liberty like I learned in university Takes work to believe in our Middle-class dreams My cousin eats from bins he shoots Ritalin while I chew on vitamins Any way to feed all those Middle-class dreams

The rot

Wiping asses nine-to-five, itches have you up all night. All those rashes— red as scabies— contracted from all those sharting babies. Their mummies man their Audi SUVs— race round loudly, as they please. Acquiring large lumps of Ponsonby, while hubby humps his secretary. Another shower, another day... gotta wash the rot away! On the ceiling...…

Slayer

you mix metaphors of lifesaving at the beach and heavy lifting because you know I lift weights and you think your lifesaving days will inspire me to work long hours you talk of swimming out to sea and not turning back of going for your dreams of taking big risks and it sounds real cool…

Poem by Zheng Xiaoqiong

"I speak this sharp-edged, oiled language of cast iron–the language of silent workers a language of tightened screws the crimping and memories of iron sheets a language like callouses fierce crying unlucky hurting hungry language back pay of the machines’ roar occupational diseases language of severed fingers life’s foundational language in the dark place of…