I love pigeons even
when their claws are stumps
and they walk as though in heels.
I love guinea pigs
for the idea they are in some way
a pig. Their heartbeats make their bodies
vibrate. I like to pretend
to answer them. Whom may I say is speaking?
I love football. More people love football
than love social justice
but that doesn’t mean football
isn’t brilliant. Whenever I head the ball
I feel a poem evaporate.
I hate the bit of the poem
where you’re obliged
to hate something.
I love the piano.
I love true crime.
I love the sun
when it arrives
like a tray
of drinks.
Joe Dunthorne’s novels include Submarine, which was made into a film, and Wild Abandon (2011). He was made a Faber New Poet in 2010.
Content from our partners
Related
This article appears in the 16 Nov 2016 issue of the New Statesman, Trump world