Sean West

Sean was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia. He has recently graduated from his BFA in Creative Writing at QUT. He is a Ruckus Slam and Ruckus Youth intern, where he helps artists create and perform their work. His work has been published in Voiceworks, PASTEL, Slink Chunk Press and Freezeray Poetry (US), among others. 


Instagram: @glitter_bish

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Shallow Ends

We peel our swimmers off with pruned
fingers in the dark, drown
our impulses like toasters in bathtubs

We stumble around the word like kids
running round pools, peer down
at our blurry toes—water hides nothing

Let the word snatch our tongues
Snag its letters in our throats
Bury it alive in our bloated bellies

Open your mouth but please do
not speak. The word is happy
where it sleeps, choked

on chlorine and electricity

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Sugar High

Press my lips to your skin
and taste childhood

My eye-line hovers at table’s edge—anticipation
for you stings like long waits before fairy-bread

spreads and fountains of cardinal red cordial--
How it dribbles down your chin forever

I edge closer to your picnic rug on all fours
knees scraped from the needing

But fairy-bread is just butter with sprinkles
on top and cordial can’t get you drunk

Yet I’m beginning to think
there are other highs worth chasing