Lostnesses

Lost Going to Shropshire
by John Hegley

Just out of Euston
On a trip to Shrewsbury
Changing at Crewe
The announcement, “If anybody has lost anything
Please contact the guard at the back of the train”.
I like the ambiguity,
Just as I like the ambiguity in art, dance and poetry.
Passengers invade the vestibules
To check their luggage.
I imagine a queue forming at the train’s back,
With various lostnesses:
I’ve lost a glove.
I’ve lost a gland.
I lost fourteen nil at blow football in my time.
I’ve lost the ability to live purely in the moment.

Somewhere on my way back from Brixton on Thursday night, I lost my scarf. I had a brief panic on Friday morning when I thought I had lost my wallet as well, so I'm glad in a way it was only my scarf. I've also started wearing the warm, brown coat my brother gave me last year that was temporarily mislaid at a comedy club in Portsmouth.

I am punishing myself for losing the scarf by going without one for a week, so I can learn to look after my things better and really appreciate them. Though the loss of a fairly unremarkable Gap scarf has given me the opportunity to buy this one from Etsy. I've been wanting an excuse to buy it for ages, ever since it was recommended as a potential gift for my brother's birthday.

I'll post pictures once it arrives.