Pub has four doors. Two cold, one above leads to the Arctic, the other below to the Antarctic. The left hand door leads to the hot Western Desserts of icecream mountains and cookie crevasses, the right hand door to the warm Eastern Aperitifs of Lychee Lakes and Squid forests.

The proprietor of Touch Screen is Trans always on the way to somewhere else. Some folk say Trans is asexual, others know better. Talk to Trans the eyes are always somewhere else. Ask Trans directions and the place you knew is never the same. Everyone is a different person after the conversation.

Trans collects clocks, places them all over the pub. Removed all their hands so no one can see the time. Circles of numbers without sound. No tick and tock to sup to. Strangely, in this place time on mobiles and tablets disappears, access to websites blocked.

Trans shrugs delicate shoulders.

In steady orbits around the walls dwarf stars shine into drinks. A horsehead nebula pulses above the pool tables. Occasionally a black hole forms and players pot lights that annoy them, in hope gravity will do its worst. Here you drink to get sober. Broken glass clarity makes blood bubble beside beery eyes.

All hands kept in a cupboard can pinpoint the second they were orphaned from their face.

Paul Brookes was, and is a shop assistant, after employment as a security guard, postman, admin. assistant, lecturer, poetry performer, with “Rats for Love”, his work included in “Rats for Love: The Book”, Bristol Broadsides, 1990. First chapbook “The Fabulous Invention Of Barnsley”, (Dearne Community Arts, 1993). Read his work on BBC Radio Bristol. Recently published in Blazevox, Nixes Mate, Live Nude Poems, The Bezine, The Bees Are Dead and others. “The Headpoke and Firewedding” (Alien.Buddha Press) illustrated chapbook, “A World Where” (Nixes Mate Press) and later this month of July “The Spermbot Blues” (OpPRESS).