Quark

I first saw this poem on a poster as part of the Poems on the Underground project run by London Underground. I only saw it once, and could only remember a couple of lines - making it hard to search for.

This morning I suddenly remembered much more of the poem and so was able to find it online. Yay!

Quark by Jo Shapcott

‘Trancendental,’ said the technician, ‘to stumble on a quark that talks back. I will become a mystagogue, initiate punters into the wonders of it for cash.’

‘Bollocks’, said the Quark, from its aluminium nacelle. ‘I don’t need no dodgy crypto-human strategising my future. Gonna downsize under the cocoplum or champak, drink blue marimbas into the sunset, and play with speaking quarklike while I beflower the passing gravitons.’

2 Responses to “Quark”

  1. Sue Says:

    Hello - I have been searching for this poem for weeks! Can you tell me which anthology it is published in? Thanks so much Sue

  2. dtl Says:

    Hello Sue, I’ve not seen this poem published anywhere aside from the poster. If you do find out, please let me know.

    –David

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