In Praise of Chimene Suleyman
Tim Wells

Behind me on the top deck
of the 67 bus
two Turkish girls,
dressed for a night out,
talk about life
since leaving school
the other side of summer.
One works in Westfield,
the shopping centre that’s
our Olympic legacy.
The other’s started college
but isn’t enjoying it much.
‘I have to go,’ she explains,
‘my dad’s a Marxist.
He says I have to be educated
‘cos the bourgeoisie
treat the proletariat like mice.’
Her friend nods and says,
‘He’s worked in shops, your dad.’

As founding editor of the poetry magazine Rising, Tim Wells has published the work of new and established writers. He likes pie and mash, reggae, bad jokes and Leyton Orient FC. His Boys’ Night Out in the Afternoon (Donut Press) was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 2006 and his most recent publication is Keep the Faith (Blackheath Books).