Shannon Stewart

PICKTON PIG FARM
953 Dominion Avenue

He had dirty hands, sat
for hours, saying nothing.
Patrolled his yard with
a boar trained to attack.
Trailers filled with purses,
i.d.’s, girlie bric-a-brac.
Drove a bus with tinted
windows, asked the girls
how they wanted to be
paid. Repeatedly stabbed
a prostitute but charges
were, inexplicably,
stayed. Some knew what he
was up to, but didn’t speak.
Those women were poor,
life wasn’t fair. He was
a decent neighbour,
a quiet man,
impossible,
a millionaire.




NB, this is supplementary material for a review of Shannon Stewart's Penny Dreadful and Phil Hall's White Porcupine, soon to be posted in The Rover. Compliments to Shannon Stewart and Signal Editions (imprint of Véhicule Press).