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.’
Hello – I have been searching for this poem for weeks! Can you tell me which anthology it is published in? Thanks so much Sue
Hello Sue, I’ve not seen this poem published anywhere aside from the poster. If you do find out, please let me know.
–David