Maria Jastrzębska

Maria is Polish and lives in Brighton. She has three collections and her work is much published in anthologies and magazines (UK, France, Finland, Slovenia, the internet). She is involved with SOUTH POLE, Queer Writing South, Outskirts and THE SOUTH.

Old Knives

Old knives lie still
in wooden drawers, lined

with shiny paper. They smell
of rust, belong to a family

of broken scissors, brass
tongs, tarnished platters

and screws stored in tobacco tins.
You could clean round them.

They lack conviction. Old knives
can’t cut in straight lines

anymore, but their handles
fit warmly into your hand.