Fresh slop

/art 418

• Wrong exit through the pool floor Deep end goes all the way.
• Woodpecker’s perfect cube burst Precision chipping.
• White iceberg, black ink sea Melting, but in ink.
• White dandelion plume above rust-red lava Erupting, gently.
• Whale swimming through golden wheat Harvest season, migration season.
• Whale surfacing through desert sand Breaching the dunes.
• Wax transformer substation at midnight High voltage, low flame.
• Underwater eel illuminates abandoned bulbs Wired, wet, working.
• Tornado trapped in a tumbleweed Weather in a ball.
• Three carts under private storms Abandoned, under weather.
• The wind combs the barley Parting the field.
• The stag beneath a lightning tree The antlers are electric.
• The sleeping hill’s closed eye Don’t wake the landscape.
• The silk wash Rinse, wax, cobweb.
• The seabed mimics the cuttlefish The sand is copying.
• The raven’s spoon graveyard Here lie the cutlery.
• The pond returns the rain Sending it back up.
• The other costume The mirror dressed differently.
• The midnight library of biting books Quiet, please. They bite.
• The magnetic hedgehog Picks up everything.
• The kitchen holds its breath One very large sheet.
• The inflated highway Speed bump, ambitious.
• The fox’s snowy paper trail Footprints, folded.
• The ballroom below October Mind the dance floor.
• Taking the burrow with me Home, carried out.
• Summer above, winter below The reflection is out of season.
• Sugar cube ant escape The sugar walked off.
• Stone pages over a black shore The coast, fanned open.
• Snail’s trail of spring Leaves flowers, not slime.
• Sleeping hedgehog in the quarry Curled up in the dig.
• Sea urchin weaving ivory lace Tidepool needlework.
• Rising water on black basalt Rain, the other way up.
• Rails bend around sleeping salamander The line is diverted.
• Pumpkin seeds become black moths Carving released the contents.
• Pumpkin orchard in the subway Next train: harvest.
• Porcini dominoes in the moss Toppling, very slowly.
• Porcelain heart of an artichoke Peel carefully.
• Pomegranate packed with ruby dice Every seed is a roll.
• Pearls between the pages The library is shellfish.
• Owl in the last dandelion Nesting in a wish.
• Orb weaver’s rainbow silk The web refracts.
• Octopus untangling spaghetti on the prep counter Eight hands, one job.
• Moth at the edge of daylight Found a better light.
• Monarchs rescue falling leaves Catching autumn on the way down.
• Lunar laundry Delicates, warm wash.
• Liquid saguaro after the storm Mostly water, still prickly.
• Lion with a brass key mane Opens most doors.
• Knotted river through autumn marsh The river tied itself up.
• Ironing crumpled aluminum Pressing the foil.
• Hermit crab’s jade insulator shell Moved into the power grid.
• Heavy break on the green Every ball is a dent.
• Haunted toast and the aye-aye Done, and then some.
• Geese walking up a waterfall Upstream, on foot.
• Frozen splash across black basalt A ripple that set.
• Frozen flame, warm core A candle that went the other way.
• Five nested eggs on cobalt enamel Breakfast, in layers.
• Fire extinguisher of falling leaves Puts out summer.
• Fennec and the fog-sucking vacuum Hoovering up the atmosphere.
• Feather-filled ribcage motel at midnight Pool closed. Pool is bones.
• Fallen dominoes, standing shadows The shadows didn’t get the memo.
• Emerald snake sheds silver chainmail Armour, slightly worn.
• Emerald pink chameleon repaints the greenhouse Blending in, by force.
• Emerald frog’s concentric dew chorus Singing in water droplets.
• Emerald beetles in a typewriter Typed in beetle.
• Eight loose ends Knitted, then it left.
• Dust ripples in the bell foundry Ringing, but in dust.
• Dunes defying gravity The desert, stood on end.
• Desert sand from brass mailboxes Mostly sand, some bills.
• Cratered moons in the laundromat Every machine on a different phase.
• Crab curates a pebble spiral Small hands, big installation.
• Copper stitches mend the torn sky Glowing thread on a storm front.
• Clouds beneath the frozen lake Weather, under ice.
• Cinema doorway to the haunted forest The film has stepped off the screen.
• Cherry-filled vintage hole punch Punches holes, collects cherries.
• Chanterelle gills become waterfalls The forest floor has plumbing.
• Candy rain beneath a black umbrella Dry everywhere except under it.
• Candlelit stag in rainy forest Lit antlers, wet forest.
• Breathing accordion cliff The coastline is mid-breath.
• Bobbing apples in the flooded aisle Clean-up in aisle everything.
• Black starlings burst from a bowling ball A strike, of sorts.
• Bison grazing the dawn fog Breakfast is low cloud.
• Birches rooted in the clouds Planted the wrong way up.
• Beech roots form a living knot Tied by the forest, not untied.
• Basalt balanced on a soap bubble Load-bearing bubble.
• Axolotl’s jack-o’-lantern bubble trouble Bath time, carved.
• Autumn in the tree’s shadow Autumn, but only in the shade.
• Ancient sandstone zipper reveals hidden jungle The cliff was only zipped shut.
• Ammonite awakening on shale Back after a short break.
• A stitch in porcelain Mending crockery on the machine.
• A glacier opens to summer Mind the step into July.
• Zebra stripes slip to the ground Coming undone on the savanna.
• Wrong side of the hem Sewing in safety pins.
• Upside down flamingos on the ceiling Standing on one leg, the other way.
• Thunderstorms in the spare bulbs Bright ideas, bad weather.
• The other argument The mirror disagrees.
• The longer goodbye Leaving a trail.
• The last rinse whirlpool Everything goes down eventually.
• Terracotta pots on the march The garden is leaving.
• Sky beneath the cracked earth Mind the gaps.
• Seven horses across the waterfall The quickest way down.
• Seals and the surging sea Very immersive.
• Roots above, apples below The orchard, upside down.
• Pigeon on a soft brick cushion The wall dipped to fit.
• Padlock shelled hermit crab Moved in, locked up.
• Octopus untangles eel tangled ethernet Network administration, underwater.
• Molting umbrella on a wet shop floor Out of season.
• Midnight sky in the laundromat Dark wash.
• Koi swimming through wood The floor has a current.
• Jigsaw salt pan’s missing piece Someone kept one piece.
• Ironing a trail of frost Pressed, then frozen.
• Impossible forest tunnel at sunset The tree rings go all the way through.
• Giant feather fossil at dawn Whatever lost this was big.
• Giant anteater feeding on forest fog Hoovering up the morning.
• Flames within the iceberg Hot core, cold shoulder.
• Fish over folded pool water Drained, folded, put away.
• Eggs spill from a rotary phone The line is breaking up.
• Cuttlefish on the chessboard Camouflaged as a checkmate.
• Cracked bowling balls hatch pins Strike, eventually.
• Clamshell cornflakes at breakfast Part of a balanced breakfast, and a pearl.
• Chrome cart, amber husk Shed its trolley skin.
• Butterfly shadows over a sleeping tiger Something is fluttering, somewhere.
• Burgundy sneakers and a tangled lace web Laced together, permanently.
• Brick's soft landing on porcelain The plate gave way, politely.
• Beavers build a red pencil dam Sharpened, then dammed.
• Autumn stillness in a storm One square of field missed the memo.
• Ants mend a shattered cobalt teapot Ants doing gold repair, the slow way.
• A machine that stitches fog Hemming the coastline.
• A geological disagreement The canyon tied itself in a knot.
• Tiny flame, enormous gust One candle, all the weather.
• The zebra’s unfinished stripes Stripes sold separately.
• The painted fish leaves the frame Thick paint, thicker ambition.
• The missing beam A gap in the picture, found on seat F12.
• The greenhouse’s new occupant Planted one egg. Something is growing.
• The antler-cord telephone Call of the wild, on a party line.
• Sunlight sandwiches on a picnic table Packed lunch, packed light.
• Sound caught in a silver colander Strained, then served.
• Shopping cart on snail wheels Express checkout, eventually.
• Sandstone coats in a seaside changing room Hang your coat, it’ll keep for millennia.
• Roots under the spare step The stairs are growing back.
• Hermit crab’s coffee cup shell Takeaway, taken literally.
• Cello strings tether grounded clouds Weather, kept on a short leash.
• A stamp of deep time Approved, about four hundred million years ago.
• A scarf’s impossible shadow Pulled tight. The shadow didn’t get the memo.
• The weight of Sunday The ears have the afternoon off.
• The onion’s impossible reflection It's been listening to you chop.
• The mantis holds time Hands-on watchmaking.
• The linen loaf Crusty outside, ironed inside.
• The last drop of ink The tap ran rope.
• Reserved for the rain Every table has its own weather.
• Pebbles return to the sky Return to sender, via the clouds.
• Midnight laundromat of sleeping moths Delicate cycle, very delicate.
• Cracked eggshell bag, golden yolk Takeaway, but make it breakfast.
• Bowling alley’s solid wooden wave Lane four is closed for surfing.
• Autumn leaves suspended in time The tree let go. The leaves didn't fall.
• A soap-sized desert in the mirror Lather in front, dunes in the reflection.
• The shell audience at twilight Waiting for someone to dive.
• Fog in the quiet car It isn't talking to anyone.
• Antique plane shaving blue ice Cold joinery.
• Wandering crosswalk stripes Crossing somewhere else entirely.
• The radiator’s soft landing Heavier than the floor expected.
• Pearly teeth in a purple fig It has been smiling at the knife.
• Where asphalt unravels into wool The road has dropped a stitch.
• Wheelbarrow's unexpected sailboat reflection Aspiring to open water.
• Washed zebra stripes on terrazzo Delicate cycle, apparently.
• Velvet waterfall in an empty theatre The curtain came down and kept going.
• The starry egg in the carton One of these is not breakfast.
• The chair's impossible tree Casting more than it should.
• Still water in a vintage carriage Mind the seats, they're wet.
• Sardines above the drained pool Swimming, technically.
• Rain stitches the meadow Mending the field, one drop at a time.
• Pillow-soft brick Still a terrible pillow.
• Pea tendril holds the line Please hold. It's growing.
• Paper moths in the archive Filed under: flying.
• Escaping grooves on plaster The record has had enough.
• Brass seeds in a glass pear Fruit, but make it jewellery.
• Apple peel, flesh walking away Leaving the skin to hold the shape.
• Envelopes blooming in lavender twilight The post is seasonal now.
• Emerald glass wave at dawn Breaks on contact.
• Crescent moon in the midnight gallery On loan, indefinitely.
• Closing time for shadows Swept up at the end of the day.
• A well-kept secret Hinged, latched, clamped.
• The empty parade The boots went ahead anyway.
• A matter of taste Mountain cake, sliced.
• The sea has pockets Denim, with a key in it.
• A minor adjustment Measured, then halved.
• Sleeping on the job Shift over, nightcap on.
• The unnecessary handle Pull to open. Plum to unfold.
• The sand keeps score The desert left a print.
• A small rebellion The pawns have legs now.
• The dry orchestra Seashells, first chair.
• Saltwater etiquette The crab will see you now.
• A kind of patience Ripening on the hour.
• The last match Burnt out, built up.
• A door for nobody Stream on one side, beach on the other.
• Unseasonal attendance The tree came in white tie.
• The weight of a whisper Muted, thoroughly.
• The colour goes home Back to the tins, please.
• A suitable pause The bench is running.
• The polite avalanche It stopped for the flower.
• A brief history of rain Kept dry for a few million years.
• Cutlery at low tide Four prongs, four streams.
• The missing guest A gap at the table, laid for it.
• Overtime for the ocean The waves are fan-made.
• An inconvenient angle Bath time, standing.
• The orange committee Motion carried, peel pending.
• Someone has been here Fern, love.
• A window of opportunity The wall is watching.
• The second skin of Monday Lined with candles.
• A featherweight decision Tethered, just in case.
• Noon in reverse The shade got the sun.
• The unpicked note Grown, not played.
• Please remain seated The cactus will see you now.
• A measure of distance Ruled to the horizon.
• The spare Tuesday Through the small door.
• The unfinished visitor Half rabbit, half deadline.
• A question of balance Four cups, no saucers.
• The other side of Tuesday Leaning on a cloud.
• Hush money Paid in velvet.
• The bread remembers Crusty outside, geode within.
• Maintenance at dawn Polish before breakfast.
• Two dimensions short Front of house only.
• The patient needle It put down roots.
• Reserved for the moon Best seat, no show.
• Proof of purchase Itemised, in layers.
• A softer landing The floor gave a little.
• The very formal heron Black tie, wet socks.
• A taste of silence Tuned to sugar.
• A helping hand It's got this.
• The long way home Turn right at the clouds.
• Private weather Storm in a shell.
• A hole in the orchard The night shows through.
• The wrong end of summer Freshly frozen.
• An orderly accident Broken, beautifully.
• Room for the wind Dressed for the weather.
• The last unread snowfall Spoilers: it's cold.
• An honest reflection Someone came in from outside.
• Late for nothing Personal best, pending.
• The horizon comes loose Peeling at the edge.
• One last drop Topped up, almost.
• The listening wall It hears you knock.
• All the hours at once Every season, same tree.
• An unscheduled migration Heading south for good.
• Untouched Nobody ate the poppy seeds.
• The slowest applause Encore, eventually.
• Departure without arrival Tied up in transit.
• The chair that wasn't Saved a seat for the light.
• Winter under glass Kept cold on purpose.
• A small disagreement Someone had to say it.
• Between floors Going up, eventually.
• The rain remembers Two skies, one puddle.
• A different kind of grain Growth rings, showing off.
• Gravity has left the room Breakfast, slowly.
• The seam in the sea Stitched in a hurry.
• The shadow arrives first It knows a shortcut.
• Soft impact Feather 1, chrome 0.
• A fold in the afternoon Pool, peeled back.
• Spool ferry Leaves a trail home.
• The quiet colander Drains daisies only.
• Night shift at the stapler Open late, staples on request.
• Butterfly brutalism Concrete, but make it flutter.
• Low tide laundry Hung out to swim.
• The thimble greenhouse Ferns, under silver.
• Last light at the funnel Pouring the sunset.
• The biscuit planetarium Stars, crumb by crumb.
• The pincushion wetlands Stilt houses, sharp foundations.
• A balcony for the moon Best view in town, for the view.
• The crayon breakwater Colours against the tide.
• The cello stairwell Climb the low notes.
• The apricot archive Records kept at the stone.
• A small matter of gravity Pressed, then poured.
• The coral doorknob Turn for the sea.
• The sleeping match Strike gently.
• Frost on the film reel Now showing: winter.
• The bell pepper opera Box seats, crunchy.
• Moonlight in the drawer Second drawer down.
• The velvet switchback Drive softly.
• The hourglass bakery Fresh every hour.
• The lantern reef Festival, underwater.
• Pearl transit Next stop: the open shell.
• The cloud cobbler Soles, softly.
• The hinge garden Opens both ways.
• The teabag lighthouse Steeping until morning.
• A briefcase full of winter Business trip, ski season.
• The umbrella orchard Grown for the coast.
• Custard cathedral Wobbles, but worships.
• The spool viaduct Threaded across the gorge.
• The ribbon quarry Mined by the metre.
• After hours at the colander Drains well, glows better.
• The radish airship Grown locally, flown gently.
• The paperweight glacier Holds down the desk, and the cold.
• The library of rain Borrow a shower.
• Moth motel Lights left on for you.
• The listening dunes Now playing: the universe.
• Sunday at the stapler Lane swimming, 10 till 4.
• The ladder harvest Ripe on every rung.
• The marble comet Landed. Still rolling.
• Low tide on toast Breakfast, with rock pools.
• The thimble conservatory Mind your fingers, mind the ferns.
• A very small eruption Sharpen with caution.
• Cloud service Your weather, sir.
• The chalk migration Folded south for the winter.
• Emergency exit to spring In case of winter, open.
• The porcelain orchard Pick when blue.
• Night shift at the comb Every tooth, an office.
• Soft landing Moving house, gently.
• The button reservoir Four holes, four pools.
• Velvet tide Tonight only: the ocean.
• Last stop, asparagus Mind the spear.
• The quiet spin cycle Delicates, and one galaxy.
• Pocket weather bureau Forecast: spiralling.
• Autumn under glass Seasons, sealed.
• Sole jazz Live music, lace-up.
• Shell service It’s the sea calling.
• Wing gardens Flying with the pagodas.
• Strained starlight Planetarium, kitchen edition.
• Downhill unspooling Fresh thread, groomed daily.
• Slow vacation Arriving eventually.
• Seed station Departing on time, ripe.
• Switch to spring Flip for flowers.
• Sunflower seats Sold out every summer.
• Stamp of relief Approved: one oasis.
• Harbor strings Tuned to the tide.
• Ray of evening Gliding home.
• Precious court Home games only.
• Unwinding upward Uncorked, with a view.
• Foxfire lodge Warm inside, all winter.
• Fresh air Freshly squeezed breeze.
• Field notes Each page a terrace.
• Under the stars Rain cancelled. Night sky instead.
• Seasonal twist Winter on one side, spring on the other.
• Slow flow No rush, ever.
• Linen lake Folded at sunset.
• Right on time Every train accounted for.
• Parting waters Detangles the desert.
• Knotical miles Heavy weather, very soft.
• Hot departure Spicy on take-off.
• Under lock and leaf Secret garden, glass security.
• Pearl of the night Full moon, freshly harvested.
• School attraction Fresh catch, no rod needed.
• Heart of the village Layered, like the best places.
• Deep purple Moored in the shallows.
• Cold side of the pillow Find it, and stay there.
• Brass thrills Hold on for the high notes.
• Packed village Everything you need for a picnic.
• Lunar tempo Keeping time all night.
• Marbleous surf Swell, in miniature.
• Waffle housewarming Crisp outside, cosy inside.
• Northern seams Sewn under the aurora.
• Follow the thread The coastline, hand-stitched.
• Winter draw Three spots of snow.
• Air dry Pegged out with the washing.
• Eau de canal Top notes of gondola.
• Light dessert Floats on arrival.
• Glazed and confused Skating on the icing.
• Sew many stars Open late, lit from within.
• Paper migration Folded, then free.
• Long exposure Shutter open, permanently.
• Office hours Grinding the nine to five.
• Core audience Standing room in the apple.
• Desert drift Floating, unhurried.
• Steep retreat Hot springs, freshly boiled.
• Quack of dawn Rising with the birds.
• Sole performance Tonight only, in satin.
• Scale transit Silver line, running on time.
• Peel crossing Do not slip.
• Cold desert Serve on the rocks.
• Growing prose Every key in bloom.
• Shuttle service Departures to the next court.
• Burning ambition The only way is up.
• Avo conservatory Stone replaced by greenhouse.
• Slow amusement Rides run at walking pace. Slower, actually.
• Fortune favors the road Your journey begins now.
• Dew course Single scull, very small.
• Minor disruption Road works, geological.
• Milky Way breakfast Part of a balanced galaxy.
• Room to expand Grand hotel, in two-four time.
• Claws for comfort Upholstered shellfish.
• Knight pasture Grazing rights, strictly L-shaped.
• Zest express Stopping at all stations.
• Safety in numbers Holding the flock together.
• Peak espresso Ski in, sip out.
• Hidden connection Mind the gap in the hillside.
• Time flies Literally, in this case.
• Rain check The rain can wait.
• Pear and breakfast Fully ripe. Fully booked.
• Away game No home advantage.
• Lightly dressed Reading light, side salad.
• Return to nature Mistakes were made.
• In a nutshell Small library, big ideas.
• Current exhibition On loan from the ocean.
• Unravelling plans Drifting. Slightly loose.
• Clean living Lather, rinse, move in.
• Fresh produce Keep refrigerated. Keep wild.
• A spoonful of sea Serves one sailboat.
• Orbital gardening Watering on a schedule.
• Reef in a minor Tuned by a marine biologist.
• Into the matchwoods Keep away from naked flames.
• Shell accommodation Sea views from every room.
• Space to soak Bring your own planet.
• Right of pastry Mind the crumbs.
• Chance of showers Waterproof, technically.
• Spore sounds Strictly analogue.
• Attached to this place Holds the old town together.
• Sweet beacon Guiding ships home, one drop at a time.
• Towel peaks Fresh powder, freshly laundered.
• Berry far away Observatory, ripe.
• Light breakfast Toast, but make it weather.
• Moon leave Off duty. Slightly deflated.
• Canned serenity Zen garden, packed in water.
• Reserved seating Best view in the house.
• Sunny side up Shallow end, over easy.
• Long distance It’s for you.
• Al dente Cooked to monumental.
• Going up Next stop: weather.
• Vitamin sea Freshly squeezed, lightly chlorinated.
• Still processing Please do not touch the monument.
• Afternoon, somewhere An unusually good place to do nothing.
• Detour The scenic route, with company.