Listen to the world’s best poetry read out loud.
Stanley
Stanley - Lorraine Mariner
Stanley
Yesterday evening I finished
with my imaginary boyfriend.
He knew what I was going to say
before I said it which was top of my list
of reasons why we should end it.
My other reasons were as follows:
he always does exactly what I tell him;
nothing in our relationship has ever surprised me;
he has no second name.
He took it very well
all things considered.
He told me I was to think of him
as a friend and if I ever need him
I know where he is.
from Furniture (Picador, 2009), © Lorraine Mariner 2009, used by permission of the author and the publisher.