Endgame

By Sophie Le Bec

Location: Manchester Peace Garden, St Peter’s Square

In the peace garden
There is a canopy of trees
And chewing gum on the floor
And it is lovely there
Just for being what it is.

On the outside
It is a different story
And we are scared
Just for being what we are.

A woman walks through
Under the shade
In her tummy a tiny bean
Dances for the first time.

She smiles, remembering the darkness
Of firecracker nights
Resonating in her rib cage
Where now there is joy.

‘I wait for you; my soul waits’
The last man says
As he bursts into flames
And the city melts.

Sophie Le Bec is a scruffy emo poet from the suburbs