Yesterday I shared five poems inspired by E. J. Ikin’s recent Inktober artworks based around his newest creation, Little Stitch Eyes. Here are five more uncanny poems inspired by this uncanny character.
“She called out on the radio for help, but no one answered.”
* * *
Stuttering static patters
Like fizz-ng raindr-ps in your ears
Sending flutt-r-ngly erratic spats -f music
Echoing down the y–rs
Eventually the metre peters ou-
The baseline th-ds no more
You are left with noisy st-tic sil-nce
As your m-mory l-ses score.
“Little stitch eyes liked to fish. She wasn’t fussed about catching anything. She just liked to stand by the water.”
* * *
Standing still on blackened sand
Little Stitch Eyes waits with rod in hand
Despite the sunlight glimmer-fish that glitter underwater
Her stitch eyes cast a net away to some far distant quarter
Her hook, a thing to catch thoughts on
Her mind, a lure where daydreams shone
Careful, now
The sound of ripples could pull you in
Leave you dreaming, world a-spin
So if you see her standing lonesome, like an empty fisherman’s daughter
Leave her peaceful with the glimmer-fish
Silent at the water.
“Little Stitch Eyes struggles sometimes with direction.”
* * *
The box appears upside-down
But only if you look at it from a certain angle.
If you change perspective: turn around
Step sideways into an Escher painting
And remember that your feet weren’t on the ground.
“She held the rat aloft by its tail. For once, she was in control of the situation.”
* * *
Sniffle-Whiskers sniffs the cheese
Little risks are worth the tease
Nudge it gentle, tug with ease—
The trap claps
Tail snaps
Rat yaps
Sniffle-Whiskers sniffs the cheese
Wagging stump of tail with new unease
Missed his death by mere degrees.
“She wrapped her arms around her to keep herself safe. We don’t all wear armour like hoodies.“
* * *
We wear our expressions like a carapace
Emotions crawl like beetles underneath
Buzzing at the cracks of eyes and mouth
Where overspill might split the sheath
Ignore my smiling exo-shell
Displaying dried-out sun-fractured happiness
Note the flash of fluorescent husk
Before I crush the tell-tale beetle abscess.
E. J. Ikin is a British artist known for his eerie urban art. ‘Little Stitch Eyes’ is the latest creation in his surreal character series. Follow him on Instagram here.
Georgina Jeffery 