innovate-issue-005

Domestic Sheople by Laura CracknellWatching people can be addictive, like TV.Brains become surplus, you grip your chair.You sit, like at the dinner table,eating carrots and peas.Open your mouth, flick your tonguelet them roll in, chew and tap your fingers.They try to escape, but your fingerssave them. A victory at the dinner table.Swallow and breathe. You move your chairback and it grates. Dinner-time is over, your tonguelicks your lips. It’s time to watch TV,An advert for peasplays to itself. Your plate lets peasslide in the bin. Rest the plate on the table.In the lounge your favourite chairwaits in front of the TV.Arms to the side and a tongueof material hangs from the middle. Fingersof tassels droop. Much like the fingerswhich cascade from the table.A gift from a partner, with eyes like peassogreen and marbled. Her sharp tonguedoes not distract you, but the TVdoes. It shows you another man in a chair.He shares an addiction in this chair;a respite from the real world, he sucks his fingersat night. An obsession shy of embarrassment. His tonguedrools over them. Smears spit on the table.He doesn’t care. He’s on TVnd he’s cool because he listens to the black-eyed peas.Boredom ensues. Turn off the TV, concentrate with your tongueThe peas in her eyes roll again, they focus on the table.A command for you to leave your chair, she wants you to use your fingers.