Imaginary Beasts

I saw an angel in the pines at Formby.

It was a woman in a white mac

picking up dog muck.

I saw a sphinx by the lake in Sefton Park.

It was an old man frozen to his bench

by cheap cognac.

I saw a griffin pouncing in a tapas bar.

It was a fur coat rippling

from chair to floor.

I saw a vampire prowling by my bed.

It was a dry-cleaned dress swinging

on a closet door.

I saw a serpent in the Mersey by the Prom.

It was corrugated pipe oozing

at low tide.

I saw a zombie howling in the bathroom.

It was a fleeting mirrored image paled

by neon light.

I saw a roc swooping down to claw my neck.

It was orangewhite EasyJet roaring

off to Spain.

I saw a baby ghost lying dead in a puddle.
It was a discarded tissue flattened

by rain.

I saw a phoenix in the blue gas of an oven.

It was a crinklecut chip cremating

in dripped fat.

I saw your smile reflected in Littlewood's window.

But when I turned to kiss you, I found

I had imagined that.