Thursday, 21 May 2026

Five Connected Sonnets by Paul Brookes

 






Destabilise
The walls are stiff and closing in like fists.
Sit down to eat breakfast. Start the day slowly.
Something no one is talking aboutist.
Make your bed first. Start your day as tidy.
The sun doesn’t sit still, it wobbles on
its balance point as we do on ours. Site
of that point differs per planet.  So one
of us the balance point, a source of light.
As with every crisis the common
herd is to blame and must recompense those
innocent rich through costly solutions,
government bailouts, wage cuts while rich repose.
This is alleged and for entertainment
purposes only. Wrong eyes on me spent.


The lost
Purposes only. Wrong eyes on me spent.
That friend who always asks weird questions.
I wouldn’t be because that’s not relevant
to how I believe. The ultimate satisfaction
is a person knowing what you need now
without words. About time we address this.
The ports are empty.  We know why and how.
Bare shelves and higher prices. The knot twists.
Bad experiences we keep hid
within ourselves. All in one portrait
editor imagine when sense undid
Your sole means and ways to communicate.
Strategic inflection point surgical,
Planned. Cutlery used outside in. Tabled.


So high end visuals
Planned. Cutlery used outside in. Tabled.
Obsessed with a lost love you stalk them. This
isn’t a safe reading. Unconcluded
part of a past life. Entitlement dissed.
The poor will be eating less and less. Starve.
Put your potatoes in the ground now. Dig
so you won’t go hungry. Must keen carve
sharpen moments in silence.  Don’t commit.
Have you felt something is off recently?
Eat the same five meals forever. Nappies
are so dry and comfortable now. she
said. Not something you can explain. Ghostly.
Restarting. Updates are underway. Do 
Not switch off. Security saves you.

my foresight
Not switch off. Security saves you.
This site was never meant to be found. Look.
They deliberately don’t inform you.
Conspiracy happens .Take a deep look.
“Facts are what you believe. Not unbiased.”
He said. This needs a memorandum
of understanding. My normal things list
feel like luxuries when I do the sums.
The truth is always far more sinister.
Now everything cures everything.
Reverse brain rot recall re-remember
French Germinal is the month of sprouting.
I’ve never seen that so I don’t believe
It. History’s disinformation weave.


we rage bait
it. History’s disinformation weave.
Confused about how to design your space?
We are being slowly boiled so grieve
every angle in an alone space.
Everyone tells everyone else
to wake up. “I”ve an app can explain things
better than you can” he says. It’s all self,
self, self nowadays. Enrichment brings
A self confidence. That pause was so hot.
We need to stop watching people’s pockets.
Don’t flip the middle finger to your hot
fans. Listen to them, respond, then lock it
Down. We are shocked and can’t believe the news.
Evidence is suspect. Value all views.



Paul Brookes is a shop asst.
During employment as a security guard, postman, admin. assistant, lecturer, poetry performer he had the following chapbooks published: The Fabulous Invention Of Barnsley, (Dearne Community Arts, 1993). Collections: The Headpoke And Firewedding and Stubborn Sod (Alien Buddha Press, 2017, 2018),  A World Where and She Needs That Edge (Nixes Mate Press, 2017, 2018), Please Take Change (Cyberwit.net, 2018), Port Of Souls (Alien Buddha Press, 2018), As Folk Over Yonder (Afterworld Books, 2019). A poetry collaboration with artist Jane Cornwell resulted in Wonderland in Alice, plus other ways of seeing (JC Studio Press, 2021).
The first in a collection of seven collections, called Ganders whose other books are: As Folktaleteller (ImpSpired, 2022), These Random Acts of Wildness, (Glass Head Press, 2023), Othernesses, (JC Studio Press, 2023), Wolf Eye (Red Ceilings Press, 2023), Wolf Eye Territory (ImpSpired, 2024), Ever Striding Edge (Dark Winter Press, 2024).  A second collection of seven collections titled Mashing began with The Dude Work, (Sherwood Press, 2024). Hedgerow of Voices (JCStudio Press, 2026). In Your Mouth, Culture Matters Press, 2026, The Drey Skin, The Red Ceilings Press, 2026.
He edits The Wombwell Rainbow and a Substack webzine, The Starbeck Orion.



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Five Connected Sonnets by Paul Brookes

  Destabilise   The walls are stiff and closing in like fists. Sit down to eat breakfast. Start the day slowly. Something no one is talking ...