Slum Clearances | Hannah Linden

There were never no back-going
once it gone, it gone and no
point remembering something
no body for, them all been being
something else with their life and
no one knowing what was is now
under and the under is deep, deep
shadow of was is and no
pattern in light motes carrying
time with it, no still there, no
real or wish for to sleep under pillow
of, you been done and mirror face
done plant its roots in shallow plate
sun kiss still and flower petal fall
with same season turn. Just is.

Hannah Linden’s first home community in the North of the UK was demolished as part of a slum clearance programme. She now lives in Devon, UK and is published widely, with work in Atrium, Lighthouse, Magma, Proletarian Poetry, Strix, The Interpreters’ House, and the 84 Anthology, etc. and she has just finished editing her first collection, Wolf Daughter. Twitter @hannahl1n.