is, thinks Pearl

Step into Pearl’s world and take a tour around her faded seaside town, past the graffiti walls, bus stops and the old mattress factory. Except – with Pearl as our guide – the colours suddenly pop and every tiny detail becomes rich with interest. From the lido to the hair salon, to the Christmas shop in June, the ordinary becomes magical and every bit of wildness, weirdness and tattiness is whisked into the foreground.

"Pearl" is an alter ego of the poet: she's a character who observes the minutiae around her and whose thoughts are a pleasure to follow. This pamphlet follows Pearl as she rollicks around, making her way through a townscape similar but not identical to the too-small-to-be-cities of poet Julia Bird's 70s & 80s childhood.

from 'Clementine Pearl'
The first time was a fluke.
Subsequently, Pearl made plans
to visit the Christmas shop
at the edge of town every
twenty-fifth of June; a day
when even if it isn’t hot, it’s light,
the day most likely the shop’s
most empty of people wanting
winter or its antimatter
to take into their homes.