Lee Sainsbury's

A slaggy little poem about south east london

Lee Sainsbury’s
Makes me
Think of
The way we
Looped around each other
Like fists clapsing orange bags
Gasping for air
My hands in your ginger hair
Innocent and so unassuming I bought booze in that Saino’s before I knew you existed
Now I cannot enter it without thinking about how you kissed and
Gave me something better than a shopping trip

Lee Sainsbury’s reminds me of
Our strung out saliva and your sleazy suggestions
My body remembers when browsing the fruit selection
Move towards the confectionary aisle instead
Shake the projection of you from my head
I still don’t know what’s good for me
Sweet tooth
False Memory
Some items cannot be returned

Lee Sainsbury’s reminds me of you
When we met, I was not prepared to
I did not have my re-usable bags
I was getting by on being disposable
Holding patriarchal baggage
My self checked-out

Lee Sainsbury’s reminds me of you
Who knew our love would not endure
When you tried to finger me in my mates back garden
Fake as a plastic bag but our love not as durable
At least plastic unlike you is reusable
But Baby! We were built to be biodegradable
Even though you were hardcore trash
Still, I recycle thoughts of you
As I pine in Lee Sainsbury’s wine section

This time I make it to the check out before you scan across my mind
It took a god damn global pandemic to stop thinking of you
Want to forget you as often as I forget those fucking reusable bags
Dad brought them to me
Like he brought me life
Our naked bodies
Mirrored my parents strife
Awakened my shadows in the night
Quick bag them up
I have no re-use for them!
A floor below
A shelf below
It was not far from that Lee Sainsbury’s that we said our first hello