Suzanne Verrall

with conviction

a hand
coming out of a solid
stone wall  

grasping at me
as I pass
in the street  

as if it were possible
to foil
my escape  

as if it is conceivable
there is somewhere
from here

child’s play

what about that new ball
rolling into the street?  

engine red with yellow stars
like it just bounced out a storybook  

a dog will come chasing after it next
or a child  

and it happens
in broad daylight

Suzanne Verrall lives in Adelaide, Australia. Her flash fiction, essays and poetry appear in various journals and collections including Australian Poetry Journal and the Southampton Review. For links to her work go to: www.suzanneverrall.com