By GJ Thomas
I was working another cleaning gig
with yet another motley crew of cleaners –
deep cleaning the fetid and vacant rooms,
of an affluent and international
student hall.
I got to one room with my colleague,
as he’d galloped across the mess towards
the cupboard and pulled out a small umbrella.
You shouldn’t open that inside,
it’s bad luck,” I warned him.
“I’ve heard them all before kid –
don’t put wallets on the bed,
don’t smoke near butane canisters,
don’t open umbrellas inside!
What a lot of bullshit.” he replied,
before he pressed the open button
on the umbrella,
as the thing sprang to life and
stabbed him in the eye in the process,
before I stared down and noticed
a couple of banknotes
that the last student had just
left on the floor and slipped them
into my pocket,
as I patted my colleague on the back
and thought whoever said
opening umbrellas inside brought
bad luck was talking shit,
as here I was twenty pounds ahead
feeling pretty lucky indeed.
Gwil James Thomas is a poet, novelist and inept musician originally from Bristol, England. In 2019 his poetry was featured in the first volume of East London Press’ 3 Poets series. He has also forthcoming poetry chapbooks from Concrete Meat Press and Holy & Intoxicated Publications. Other work can be found widely in print and also online at Expat Press, 3AM Magazine, Punk Lit Press, Philosophical Idiot and now here. He currently lives in San Sebastián, Northern Spain.
